Kingdom of the Shrew
by Awen Sofer
Summary: It was to be an arranged marriage to unite kingdoms and seal borders. Instead, it became a battle of wills and test of patience for everyone involved. The pathetically shiftless and selfish man who would be the Wolf King and the hard headed, independent Queen of all Shrews are not a match made in heaven,but from somewhere far below. OC/AU Rated M for later content.
1. Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Baraggan Louisenbairn was the ancient, decrepit king of a small dying kingdom trapped in the middle of several growing kingdoms that were threatening to take over his land and destroy him. Thankfully he had four sons that were helping him make allies of the surrounding kingdoms through marriage. The oldest son, Sosuke had married the elegant yet hopelessly stoic and unfeeling Princess Shirayuki* of the kingdom to the North. She would one day be the true Ice Queen in title and not just the opinion of her people. He was well suited to his wife being quite cold and calculating himself with a perpetually unflappable personality. The third son, Grimmjow was betrothed to Queen Harribel of the West who had already been crowned the reigning monarch after her father's unexpected death from being killed in a joust. Without a doubt they would have the most appealing and downright sexy children in all of the land. The youngest son, Ulquiorra, had been married off to the Southern Kingdom's Princess Orihime who was as brainless as she was beautiful. Despite their opposing personalities and arranged marriage, they loved each other very much. Then, there was the second son, Coyote: unmarried, unmotivated, and undeniably lazy. The only suitable female left for him to marry was the Princess of the Eastern Kingdom which would also secure King Barragan's borders and once again extend his boundaries through matrimonial bonds. However, that Princess, or her father for that matter, would not be so easily won over.

Yumiko was the oldest daughter of King Kuchiki, the arrogant and excessively proper King of the East. To her father's great distress, his daughter had a reputation that proceeded her. Stubborn, strong willed, and just plain mean spirited she balked at her father's desire to keep up appearances and wish for her to adhere to the strict set of rules for behavior he had set for his daughters. She wore britches, rode horses, and learned to be an archer much to her father's embarrassment and the amusement of the whole kingdom. The people loved her because she often wore commoner's clothes and spent more time in the streets among them than she did inside the castle staring down at them from the tall towers. Her sister Rukia was constantly admonishing her and berating her for humiliating the family especially their father. During particularly irritating rants, Yumiko would remind her about the less than royal social status of her boyfriend, Renji who was one of the King's Knights. Father would not be thrilled about that either. Her mother, Hisana, would gently reprimand her but was never as stern or serious as the King with his punishments. The Queen would sometimes 'accidentally' allow the girl to sneak away from her needlepoint lessons for archery lessons and had even aided her in fleeing from the teacher her husband had hired for math and literature tutoring. She thought it was more important the girl learn about her people and how to rule them someday than to learn how to add them together or recite useless poetry to entertain guests at boring parties.

Yumiko had been out running through the countryside and hunting rabbits with her archery teacher Uryū and her best friend Ichigo who was a commmoner and the son of the doctor who tended the royal family. After scaling the wall to her bedroom window, she pulled herself over the stone sill to drop soundlessly into her room. It was after sunset, and she was late getting home for dinner. With any luck, the cook and her helpers would be running late also with getting dinner on the table tonight. The lamp in her room suddenly burst to life, illuminating her table where her unopened school books sat. Gasping in horror and pressing her body against the wall in a useless attempt to hide in what remained of the shadows in her room, the dim golden glow revealed the face of a very displeased father sitting at her study table.

"Where have you been?" King Byakuya calmly inquired, his stormy gray eyes meeting his daughter's eyes that were the same shade of dark slate gray.

"Uh, um, I...I was...I was out..." she mumbled, nervously twirling a lock of her straight black hair that had come loose from the bun on her head.

"I know what you were out doing and who you were doing it with so please don't lie to me," he requested, pressing his fingers to his temples to massage them from the ache that had erupted there. He closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight of her holding her hands behind her back because not only were they stained with blood from hunting the nails were chipped and dirty from climbing the tower wall to her room. If only she had been a male child, all of these things would not only be permissable but also a source of fatherly pride. Opening his eyes, he allowed them to take in the full sight of his comely royal daughter who looked anything but that at the moment. She was wearing brown knee high boots over brown leather knickers as well as a peasant shirt under a deep green vest. Her long bow was strapped to her back along with a quiver of arrows. Her pretty face was marred with smudges of dirt and blood and her sometimes shiny ebony hair was a complete disheveled disaster. "What a lovely bride you'll be," he muttered under his breath with uncharacteristic sarcasm. "Please, go bathe and get ready for dinner. Your mother and sister are waiting."

"What do you mean bride?" Yumiko asked, rushing to her father and catching him by the arm as he was trying to leave. Snatching away her filthy hand, she bit her lower lip apprehensively when she saw the smear of blood on his white shirt sleeve.

Byakuya sighed and turned back to look at his daughter. Reaching out to touch her cheek, he did not care about the grime streaking her skin. He had received an invitation to the castle of the Central Kingdom. King Baraggan had finally made the strategic political move he had been expecting - and dreading - for years: he had requested a meeting to discuss the terms of betrothal of his slothful second son, Coyote, to King Kuchiki's sweet and _special _Yumiko. He smiled at the memory that he had pled with her mother not to give her that name because it meant child of the bow and arrow. His daughter was living up to her name and the proof was on her back.

"Miko, clean up and come for dinner. I'll discuss it then," he said, kissing the one clean spot on her face that was hidden beneath her overly long bangs covering her forehead. After patting her cheek, he turned back to the door to leave.

"Daddy?" she called, staring at his back as he waited to exit. "Do I _have_ to get married?"

For the first time in her life, Byakuya was going to give her the option to make the right choice without being forced into it. "You don't have to get married. If you consent to this marriage, you will unite our kingdom with four very strong lands. If you refuse, you will start a war. The decision is yours."

Byakuya walked away to leave his daughter to think. He never promised her it would be an easy decision.

~\..'../~

"Coyote," the melodious female voice sang, invading his sweet dream of the barmaid he had bedded last night.

Coyote groaned wishing the sound would go away to leave him to his lusty memory. He did not want to wake up because he was tired and hungover. It had been another late night at the brothel for him and his friends. Moving brought undesired pain and also drew him closer to that unwelcome state called wakefulness. A brain crushing blow was delivered to the side of his head at the same time the proof of his manhood was crushed beneath a bony knee.

"Wake up, Coyote!" the shrill voice of Lilynette burst through his eardrums.

Could his father have possibly employed a more annoying creature to be his private servant? The girl's voice was like the sound of a clanging cymbal, and she had the body of a ten year old boy. Worse yet, the small blond seemed to have a desperate crush on him along with a disturbing penchant for being lewd and perverse.

"Go away, Lilynette!" he yelled, thrusting out his open palms in hopes of pushing her off of him. Instead, he felt her small hands pull his palms tightly against her chest where her breasts should be if she were developed like a girl in her late teens normally would be.

"But I want you. Please, can't you just make love to me? I'd be so much better than those whores," she told him, straddling his hips and hanging on tight with her knees as he squirmed beneath her.

"Out! Get out!" he bellowed, sitting up and thrusting his hands forward at the same time. He laughed loudly as she rolled over backwards then flipped off the bed to go sprawling painfully onto the cold stone floor. "Get out, you pervert!"

"By the way, your father is expecting you downstairs in five minutes. Your wife-to-be will be arriving today," she announced, straightening her dress before walking out of the door.

"My what?"

* * *

*Rukia's zanpakuto spirit seemed to be the only female suitable to be his mate. Her personality is much like his and he needs a beauty with brains by his side.

I think Orihime and Ulquiorra make a cute couple. Orihime isn't one of my favorites, but hey if I can deal with it, so can you.

Grimmjow and Harribel - well, duh. They just seem suited to each other looks wise and personality too for that matter.

This was only an introduction to the story and hopefully has piqued some interest.


	2. Chapter 2

Byakuya stole a glimpse of his daughter as she stared out of the carriage window. He knew she was keeping her head turned to avoid talking to him. She had managed to go without saying a single word to him for the arduous three day journey. He had imagined the trip would be tense and a bit strained emotionally but he had never counted on this. His daughter's stubbornness surpassed his most far fetched musings. Raising his hand to reach for hers, he changed his mind when he saw her jaw tighten and her beautiful facial features harden into a mask of hatred.

"You can't hate me forever," he said, rubbing his sweaty palms on his cotton traveling pants. His daughter made him nervous. She had been too silent for far too long and had been doing way too much thinking. He had no idea what she had been plotting and that frightened him.

"You are correct, Father, I cannot," Yumiko agreed, addressing him formally in a crisp tone. Turning her anger darkened eyes to him, she added, "But it doesn't stop me from hating you right now."

The quiet King suddenly wished he had maintained his peace. Those few words cut him like a knife. He was glad his wife and other daughter had decided to follow a day behind in a second carriage. Hisana thought it would be best to give them to time alone to try to work things out. So far the only thing that had been worked out was his nerves which were completely raw at this time.

"Stop in the village just before we arrive at the castle," he ordered the driver.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" the young footman queried with concern lacing his voice. He slowed his horse down to ride parallel to the carriage so he would not have to yell behind him. "Is the young miss ill?"

"Yes," Yumiko spoke up, leaning out of the window to him. She returned his friendly smile before saying, "I'm royally sick of this shi-"

"Sit down!" her normally calm and impassable father bellowed at her, pulling her back in the window by the collar of her dress. "Of all times for you to decide to speak. Watch your mouth, Princess. Please go back to being so angry you won't speak to me - or anyone else for that matter."

"As you wish Father." She turned her back to him, laying her head against the seat. Hot, stinging tears rolled down her face without a sound. She had never tasted anything so bitter as those tears when they seeped into the corners of her mouth. To save her family and her kingdom, she had agreed to the marriage. Agreeing to it did not mean she had to like the man who would be her husband. It also did not mean she had to go compliantly to the altar either.

~\'l'/~

"Wife? What the hell do I need a wife for?" Coyote growled at his father who stared at him with a bored expression. He paced like a caged animal, feeling like one too. He was about to be trapped in a marriage he did not want.

"You need to unite us with the Eastern Kingdom. You can still continue your drinking and whoring. You will be her problem after the wedding ceremony. I just want to seal my ties with her father," King Baraggan announced with blunt honesty.

"I've heard she's quite beautiful," the King's top advisor, Gin interjected with a grin. He did everything with a grin. His face never changed expression.

Coyote glared at the man who had interrupted their conversation. Who the hell did Sir Grinsalot think he was? He was nothing but a talking head, a pawn, a so called purveyor of wisdom who was nothing more than a sycophantic toadie, sadly scratching at crumbs that fell from the King's table.

"Bastard," he snarled, curling his lip back from his teeth. "I've heard she's quite bitchy and an all around pain in the ass."

"Who told you that? Lilynette?" the King challenged with a self-satisfied smirk. He knew the little big mouth would not waste time in attempting to turn Coyote against the woman who would be his betrothed.

"I'm going back to bed. Wake me when she gets her," he yawned, purposely being as rude as possible.

"She's here!" Lilynette bellowed allowing it to echo down the expansive hallway into the king's meeting chambers.

"Dammit!" So much for a nap that he sorely needed.

\''l''/

Yumiko slapped at the hands of the awkward and nervous footman who reached up to help her out of the carriage. She ignored the hurt in his brown eyes and resisted the urge to pat him on his shaggy brown head. Raising her nose high into the air, she took on the attitude and appearance a pampered princess should. Her father had given her another reason to be angry. When they stopped in the village, a dressmaker had been waiting to strap her into a vise like corset then a huge dress made out of yards of heavy material. The dress probably weighed more than she did and she was beginning to sweat from the effort of dragging around the fashion behemoth made of maroon velvet. Her hair had been swept up on top of her head and hung around her face in annoying long, loose curls. If only she could breathe! Dizziness swept over her. She was afraid she would swoon and lose consciousness in front of the King and his son. How humiliating and completely feminine.

In frustration, she gathered as much of the long skirt as she could in her arms and stomped through the open entrance to the castle without waiting for her father. Dismissing the amused snorts of stifled giggles released by the guards at the doors, she rushed through to stop in the hall. Hopefully she would have time to fix herself before her father came in. She thought it very rude that the king himself or at least his son had not been there to greet them. Oh, no! Her father's attitude had somehow gotten into her! What did she care about proper etiquette? Glancing around the hall, she searched for a mirror. Finding none, she resorted to looking for a suitable substitute.

\'''l'''/

_What the hell is she doing? _Coyote wondered, watching the pretty woman as she picked up the platter of whole fresh fruit and dumped its edible contents on the table. He continued to study her as she used the shiny silver tray as a mirror to fix her mussed her and straighten the simple tiara that sat askew on her head full of messy black curls. Not in a million years would he admit it, but Gin had actually been right about something: the woman was indeed quite beautiful. He felt his interest rise to a new level as he watched her grab her breasts and re-situate them to a more advantageous position in her dress. Oh, how thoughtful. She wanted them to look their best for his viewing pleasure. So far he was very pleased with what he saw.

Stepping out of his hiding place as she billowed out her skirts in an attempt to straighten them, Coyote faked a cough into his hand to gain her attention. He smiled at her as she stared at him with round wide eyes the color of the sky just before the sun would break above the horizon at dawn. He had seen that sky many times because that was usually when he was stumbling in to go to sleep from a long tiring night at the pubs and whorehouses.

Yumiko kept a cautious eye on the man who made his way around her in a slow circle. He reminded her of a wolf stalking its prey from the languid movements of his lithe body as he circled her in silence. He was something virile and wild with shoulder length wavy brown hair and a light goatee on his chin. His sleepy bluish grey eyes held a lean hungry expression that she had seen in the eyes of the wolves that inhabited the forest she frequented to hunt. Swallowing hard, she tried not to think about what kind of hunger it meant. Lowering her eyes to the floor, she took a moment to stir up her courage before meeting his gaze again.

"Who are you?" she demanded, raising her chin defiantly as he stepped toward her.

"Aren't you the bold one? You come to my castle and demand to know who I am. How rude and unbecoming of a lady," he said, reaching to twist one of the springy curls around his finger.

Yumiko slapped his hand and stepped back to distance herself from him. "Now who's being brazen? I am a lady," she huffed, pushing her hands across her skirt to smooth it out and poking her nose into the air.

"Don't go out like that when it rains," he warned her, closing the gap between them in one step. He stroked his forefinger under her chin, smiling when she jerked her head away. "You might just drown, Princess."

"Well, I never!" she gasped in offense from his unwarranted touch.

"I bet you haven't. Would you like to?" he queried, stepping closer to her.

"How dare you!" She raised her hand in an attempt to slap him but he caught her wrist.

"You are a fierce one aren't you?" Coyote teased, surprised when she twisted her wrist and pulled to easily free herself from his grip.

Despite wearing the confining and unweildy gown, Yumiko dropped to the floor and leg swept the lanky man to send him on a one way trip to the floor. Whoever he was, he was incredibly annoying and uncivilized. Her head snapped up and her eyes were wide. He had called her Princess. _His _castle? How did he know who she was? Leaning over him, she held her tiara to keep it from falling off of her head as she looked down at him.

"Hey, hey you," she called, poking him with the toe of her riding boots that she was wearing under her dress without her father's knowledge. She had drawn the line at wearing the high heeled boots. "What's your name?"

"Coyote. I'm your future husband. Pleased to meet you, Princess," he said cordially, holding his hand up to her while folding his other arm behind his head.

"Oh, damn," she muttered, chewing her lower lip nervously as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Do you kiss your father with that mouth?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes, she does," King Byakuya answered, glaring disapprovingly at his daughter before switching his lethal gaze to the man on the floor. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing much sir except for your daughter enchanting me with her feminine charms," Coyote answered, taking his time getting up from the floor. He casually dusted off his white pants then commenced to picking off invisible pieces of lint from the long jacket decorated with elegant black embroidery.

Yumiko had donned an apathetic expression and stared straight ahead at nothing to avoid eye contact with both of the men. She took her father's arm when he offered it to her so he could lead her to the king's meeting chambers where they would be officially introduced. Taking shallow breaths, mostly due to the killer corset she was wearing, she tried to maintain her composure. Coyote had caught her off guard. She had been expecting a tight assed, proper Prince. Someone like her father only far more aesthetically unpleasing. Upon feeling a hand on her other arm, she glanced up at the man walking on her right side to be met with a lazy grin. Her heart raced and sweat beaded above her lip. This time it had nothing to do with the corset or the dress. Dammit! She was not supposed to like him, and she was definitely not supposed to be attracted to him. Clearing her throat and raising her chin, she pulled away from Coyote as he tried to link his arm through hers.

"No, thank you. I have an escort," she informed him with an arrogant lift of her chin. She was unaware that she perfectly mirrored her father in that moment.

Coyote was aware and found it funny. He was forced to fake a coughing fit to cover his laughter.

"What's wrong with you?" she grumpily queried, sliding her eye to the corner to look at him without turning her head.

"Just this cold air," he remarked, pulling himself together. Struggling to maintain a regal air as well, he continued to walk beside her.

"So what are your thoughts on this strategic political merger?" Yumiko asked, regretting it when her father squeezed her arm tightly between his and his body.

"The what?" Coyote responded, glancing at her.

"Our obligatory marriage," she clarified, waiting for the doors ahead of them to be opened.

"I don't know. After meeting my intended, I believe I might like her. I think I can get accustomed to it. And her," he said, giving her a flirty smile that worked on capturing the hearts of all the barmaids in the kingdom.

"Hmmm," she hummed with a shrug of her shoulders as the doors were opened with a flourish by the guards dressed in full suits of armor. She had thought they were empty and decorative suits of armor at first. King Baraggan had not overlooked any pompous detail. "Wish I could say the same."

"Why you bi-" He started to be cut off by his father welcoming their guests.

"Come in, dear friends. I'm so glad you could join me," the old white-haired King proclaimed.

Yumiko found it offensive that they were expected to stand to have an audience with the King like they were subjects of the Kingdom instead of being royalty themselves. She followed the path of Coyote as he climbed the short staircase two stairs at a time to sit down in the throne beside his father. After being thrust into the dilemma of a lifetime, she had developed a sudden interest in history. Her father had eagerly agreed to buy the books she requested thinking she had finally developed an interest in learning something besides how to skin a rabbit and take care of a horse. What she had learned about the King of the Central Kingdom had been disturbing and somewhat frightening.

It was no surprise there was no queen sitting beside the King. All four of his sons had different mothers. After each boy had been born, their mother had met with an untimely demise and the next queen was quickly chosen and moved into the castle. After the fourth son, King Baraggan had not remarried. His history with women and the fact he had the face of a battle-scarred warrior who used his face as a shield also played a factor in him reigning alone she was sure. A large scar marred the right side of his face and whatever had caused the scar seemed to have taken his eye as well. Another scar ran from his lower lip down his chin on the left side. He reminded her of a walrus because of the thick white moustache obscuring the lower half of his face. Wild tufts of white hair jutted from beneath his heavy crown, sticking straight up from his head. He was a short, big man but appeared to be more muscle than fat. His fair-skinned, lanky son sitting beside him must look like his mother, God rest her soul.

Turning her attention to Coyote as the two kings discussed the specifics of the dowry, Yumiko was surprised and to her dismay, pleased, to see he was studying her openly. Momentarily lowering her gaze to the floor, she gradually raised her eyes back to him. He did not look like the marrying type. He looked like the type who liked to get drunk and have sex with anything in a skirt. And sleep. A lot. Her lip pulled back from her teeth in disgust when he grinned at her.

Coyote smiled in a casual, too familiar manner when her eyes met his. He was startled when she did not look away but would not let that fact register on his face. She had no idea how much he liked seeing her do that; demurely bringing her eyes up from a shy avoidance of eye contact to hold his gaze with confident ease. It was not the audacious flirty gaze of a courtesan but the steady sure look of a woman who was comfortable with herself. He had no idea how much that would captivate him. Although drawn to her, he kept himself in check because it was apparent she wanted no part of him. However, considering why they were here, she would be his whether she liked it or not. This fact made his friendly smile morph into a licentious grin.

Yumiko tried to gasp but could not when the expression on his face changed to something lusty and predatory. The corset had finally squeezed her lungs until she could no longer breath. Everything wavered in her vision and she stumbled forward.

"Darling, what is it?" her father asked, sincere concern raising the pitch of his normally deep voice.

"I-I c-can't br-breathe," she stammered in between laborious inhales. Falling forward onto her hands and knees, she clawed at the contraption that was about to suffocate her. "It's this...this corset."

Coyote jumped from his chair while pulling the dagger hidden beneath his jacket from the sheath strapped around his waist and laying against his back. He rushed down the steps and reached her in a matter of seconds. He would not allow this alluring woman to die before he had the chance to make love to her at least once.

"Sir, I mean you or your daughter no disrespect. Forgive me," he said to her father before sliding the knife under the fabric of the dress at her neck.

"What are you doing?" King Byakuya asked in horror as he watched the man pull the knife up and heard the sound of tearing fabric as he split the expensive dress down the back.

There was no time to bother with unbuttoning the dozens of tiny buttons that held the garment together. Sliding the knife under the top lace of the corset, he snapped the tether to the offending garment that was about to kill her. Continuing downward, he cut each lace to free her body and allow life-giving oxygen to enter her lungs. _Such cruel, pointless devices_ he thought, ripping the contraption from her body and throwing it far from her as if it would crawl back onto her body and constrict around her again.

Yumiko greedily breathed in loud gulping inhales of much needed air. She panted and coughed, not caring that she had just been disrobed with a knife by a total stranger in the presence of two flabbergasted kings.

"Coyote, take her to her room," his father ordered, trying not to stare as his son helped her to her feet. One slip of that garment in the wrong direction and the beautiful girl would be naked. Feeling like an old pervert, he averted his eyes when his son put his arm around her and led her from the room while holding the dress on her body.

"This is so embarrassing. I didn't even want to wear that damn thing," she muttered, feeling shame and humiliation making her face burn. If she had to guess, she would say the color of her face matched the deep wine color of her dress that dared to fall off of her body.

"I apologize for that. I had to get that thing off of you as soon as possible," he explained, turning a light shade of pink as the dress slipped from under his arm and revealed her back all the way down to her backside. The color of his face grew darker when he saw the creamy white skin of the round top of her butt cheek. He had never been embarrassed to see a naked woman before. Hell, he had seen hundreds of them. From farmer's daughters to ladies in waiting he had seen more naked women than he cared to think about at the moment. Seizing the sides if the dress, he pulled them together and held them scrunched in one fist as he led her to her room.

"So humiliating," she murmured, her voice wavering.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure dressing like that was not your choice. Judging by the riding boots you're wearing, I would say you're more of a pants and vest kind of girl," he said, smiling at the gaping stare he received. He had seen them earlier when she kicked him as he was laying on the floor after her stunning leg sweep. The thought of seeing her in leather pants and leather vest was really quite a fetching image.

"Thank you," she nearly whispered under the crushing weight of her shame from her unexpected and violent disrobing.

"Forget it," he told her sensing her mortification. Although she might forget it, the sight of her panting and half naked on the floor would have to carry him through until their wedding night. He would not forget it until he had another memory of her breathing heavily to take its place.


	3. Chapter 3

Yumiko was standing at the window to her room staring out into the empty courtyard of the castle. All of the torches had been put out since it was after midnight and the only light came from the half moon. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light since she had been sitting in the dark room for hours waiting for her father. She had skipped dinner and chosen to stay in her room because not only was her appetite nonexistent, she was literally sick with dread. She could not sleep from thinking about all of the horrible possibilities that lay ahead of her. Thoughts of Coyote hammered her brain and made her head ache. The man disgusted her and intrigued her all at once. He was handsome and knew it which was definitely a problem. She contemplated just how knowledgeable he was in the ways of women and it made her blush. Somehow she doubted even her most tawdry and salacious fantasies could compare to his actual bedroom exploits. What kind of man was he really? He appeared to be an indolent, uncaring, and selfish man. She hoped he was not cruel or violent. If he ever lifted a hand to her, she would be forced to break it.

Movement below caught her eye. Leaning out of the window and narrowing her eyes in an attempt to get a better look, Yumiko could see it was a man. Guessing by the tall, thin frame and dark shaggy hair, it had to be Coyote. He seemed to be a little old to be sneaking out in the middle of the night. But who was she to think such a thing when she had done it many times herself. Heaving a deep, sad sigh she recalled the nights when she would steal away from her home to explore the forest. She sighed again but wistfully this time as the memory of a particularly titillating night sprang to the forefront of her mind.

_It was an incredibly hot night in the middle of summer and the river looked so inviting. While enjoying her naked midnight swim, a certain orange haired man stumbled across her, well her clothes actually._

_"Miko! Where are you?" Ichigo yelled on the verge of panic. What if she had fallen in and drowned? But she took the time to get naked first so..._

_"I'm right here," she calmly answered, giggling when he fell backwards in surprise from her sudden appearance from beneath the surface of the water in front of where he stood on the bank of the river._

_"Are you..." He blinked at her in surprise and cleared his throat. "Are you naked?"_

_"What do you think, silly?" she laughed. She was sure he was blushing because he was more modest than most women. "Want to join me?"_

_Without saying a word, Ichigo reached up to unbutton his shirt._

_"Wh-what are you d-doing?" she stammered, swimming backwards away from the edge._

_"What do you think, silly?" he retorted with a sly smile, pulling off his shirt. "I'm going to join you."_

_"Are you sure you want to do that?" She turned her back when he began unfastening his pants._

_"Very sure." _

_Yumiko stiffened when she heard a splash behind her and jumped when the cold droplets sprayed across her back. She dared to turn around and almost came nose to nose with him. Her body was shaking and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. Her eyes met his in the light of the full moon that lit up the night as brightly as if it was the middle of the afternoon. _

_"How long have we known each other?" he asked her, pressing his palm against her cheek._

_"Since I was five. Your dad was called when I was sick with pneumonia. You lay in the bed with me all night to keep me warm when I was having chills," she said, pressing her hands against his muscular chest._

_"You remember that?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead before looking down at her with a smile on his face._

_"Of course I remember that," she murmured, closing her eyes and wishing her heart would stop beating so loudly because she wanted to hear his every word._

_"You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen, Yumiko," he whispered, lifting his other hand out of the water sprinkling water droplets across her shoulder and chest._

_"And I still love your hair," she chuckled, sliding her fingers through his crazy orange spikes. His hair had been what drew her to him first. To his dismay when they were younger, she could not and would not keep her fingers out of it. Her breathing stopped when Ichigo took her hand from his hair and brought it to his lips to kiss the back of it. She studied him with fascination as he kissed each fingertip. Remembering to inhale, she breathed in audibly just before he pressed his lips to hers. Once again she was left breathless as his lips tenderly moved across hers._

Before her memory could proceed any further, a knock on her door roused her from her provocative reverie. Yumiko walked to the door, clutching her robe tightly around her. After the corset event, modesty had immediately jumped to the top of her priority list. She opened the door to see her father standing there with his usual nondescript and emotionless expression on his face.

"It's done," he declared in an affectless voice.

"So my death sentence is set?" she asked, moving back to let him into her room.

"Miko please..." he sighed allowing his words to disappear into the dark. "You should thank me for the stipulations I added to the marriage agreement."

Yumiko folded her arms as she glared at her father suspiciously when his face took on a slightly sinister expression in the wavering golden light from the oil lamp he carried in his hand. "Stipulations? What kind of stipulations?"

"The marriage contract will be rendered null and void if Coyote ever physically harms you or if he commits infidelity," he said, a sense of pride from his cleverness seeping into his voice.

"Oh, Daddy, really?" she gasped, rushing forward to hug him. Her father was protecting her as best as he could under the circumstances. He had managed to give her an escape route from the marriage she did not want. Obviously his diplomacy skills had been at their optimum level, and he had been brilliant in negotiations which made her wish she had returned after the corset disaster to hear them firsthand. However she was afraid she would not have been able to endure hearing her future, especially the unwanted marriage, planned out for her against her will.

"See, I told you that you could not be angry with me forever," he laughed lightly, embracing her with his strong arms.

"I love you, Daddy," she murmured, breathing in his familiar smell deeply. The scent of cherry blossoms would forever be implanted in her memory and would remind her of her father. She would miss her father dearly, but if she had her way, she would not have to miss him for long. She shuddered involuntarily when she thought of the plans Coyote undoubtedly had for her when he got his clutches on her.

"It will be all right, my darling. Just believe in your heart that everything will be fine," he told her, kissing her forehead.

"I'm so scared. I don't want to do this," she sniffed, attempting to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"I know." He patted her back and held her as silent tears slid from her eyes and soaked the front of his shirt. He was thankful for the cover of darkness to hide his tears. This was not the future he had planned for his daughter. Despite her frequent actions that caused him embarrassment, he was never ashamed of her. She was his first born, his special girl, and his image in feminine form. She was the exact opposite of him in many ways and it nearly drove him insane. However, she was very much like him in ways such as being determined, prideful, and just plain obstinate. When he no longer felt her body trembling from the shedding of bitter tears due to her breaking heart, he kissed her cheek and wiped away the remnants on her face. "No more sadness. Your mother and sister will be arriving tomorrow. You should get some sleep."

"Good night, Daddy." She hugged him once more before letting him go.

"Good night, Miko," he responded with one last look at her in the low light of the lamp he carried before leaving the room.

There was no way Yumiko would be getting any sleep tonight. Opening her trunk, she haphazardly threw out all of the dresses and other miscellaneous items of clothing. Finding the fingerholds of the false bottom of the trunk, she lifted it out to reveal shirts, vests, pants, boots, and a black hooded cloak. Underneath all of the clothing, she had hidden her most cherished possessions in the world: her bow and quiver of arrows. After dressing in black to hide easily in the darkness, she strapped the quiver and bow to her back before donning the cloak. She wanted to see where her husband-to-be had gone. There was no reason to lose time in learning his bad habits and vices to be able to catch him in the act as soon as possible to end their inevitable marriage.

It was not hard to find Coyote. The fact that he carried a whole group of friends with him made it quite simple to discover his whereabouts. Yumiko followed them from pub to pub, staying outside with the horse she had sneaked out of the castle stables and ridden bareback to the village. They stumbled from one bar to the next, laughing loudly and slapping each other on the back as if they had accomplished something fantastic by getting drunk and acting like idiots. She did not have to hide or take cover, following them openly as they walked down the street because they were too inebriated to notice her presence. Besides, she looked like just another traveler in the village wearing the riding cloak and would not arouse suspicions anyway. Walking behind the big goon called Yammy also obstructed her from their view. Obviously he was the rear guard, but a terrible one, since he always brought up the rear of the drinking party and had yet to acknowledge her stalker like presence. To her horror, the final stop on their little parade of debauchery was at the local bordello. This time she had no choice but to take cover to hide from the whores who paced the street in front of the building, pulling in any man to give them money for a little fleshly delight.

"Bastard," she grumbled, feeling jealousy burn and well within her. Why? Why did she care? She did not want to marry this man anyway, and if he had a weakness for sex so much the better for her. Finding her escape route from the unwanted marriage was going to be so easy and faster than she even imagined.

Yumiko moved down the alleyway between the whorehouse and the building next to it, careful to avoid the passed out drunks who had been discarded after spending all of their money on booze and sex. Glancing around the back of the house, she noticed that all of the rooms had ornate iron balconies attached to them. Jumping up as high as she could, she grabbed the iron bars of the balcony above her to pull herself up before swinging up and over to land on the narrow platform. Testing doors, she hopped from balcony to balcony before she finally found a set that was unlocked. Unfortunately the room they opened into was occupied by a couple locked in a raucous and obscene sexual act. Pressing her body against the outside wall and covering her ears with her hands to block out the noise, she waited until the animalistic moaning and groaning stopped before going inside. Tiptoeing past the spent and exhausted couple, she kept her eyes on the door and refused to allow curiosity to cause her to see something she did not want to see.

Once in the hallway, Yumiko breathed a sigh of relief but her relief was short lived as another couple ran past her. She closed her eyes, but it was too late not to see the naked woman or her half naked male companion as he chased her to a room. _What am I doing here?_ she asked herself. Looking downstairs, she saw Coyote walk through the vast foyer with a blonde on one arm and a redhead tucked under his other arm. There was her reminder why she was here. It seemed the members of his little group had chosen female escorts for the night as well and they were all being led to a private room. Was that one of the perks for being a frequent customer? Rushing to the stairs, she caught a glimpse of the massive tail end of the entourage as he ducked to go through the doorway. Before he could close the door, she managed to slip inside the room. The fully stocked bar complete with private bartender was the only place she could take refuge. Pushing back her hood to show her identity as a woman, she silently pled for his assistance using her big gray eyes. He was the biggest man she had seen since Yammy and could undoubtedly squash her like a bug. She stared at him without wavering as his moustache twitched before his lips curled into a smile. After receiving a nod while he straightened his glasses, she had his affirmation that he would keep her presence a secret from the special guests he would be serving. She waited until they had drunkenly slurred out their orders for libations before daring to raise her head above the bar. Before she could get a good look, the man put his huge heavy hand on her head and pushed her below the bar.

"Thanks, Tessai," a woman with a disturbingly high pitched voice said before snatching away the drinks he had set on the bar.

Yumiko exhaled loudly not realizing she had been holding her breath. She looked up at the man giving him a smile of gratitude. Leaning against the back of the counter, she waited before attempting to see what was going on again.

"Oh, Coyote!" she heard the high voiced woman declare before laughing like a hyena.

Everything be damned at that point, Yumiko stood up throwing back her cloak to pull out her bow. Grabbing an arrow and drawing back on the string, she did not notice his companions standing to their feet and dropping their playmates for the night onto the floor. The tall skinny one with long black hair and an eye patch moved toward the bar on one side while Yammy moved in the opposite direction. Her eyes moved from Coyote who was sitting in the chair facing her with blonde woman still in his lap to his minions who flanked him on either side. She believed the one with pink hair was called Szayelaporra and the blonde beside him was Yylfordt. For a moment she was stunned by the similarity between the two men and guessed they must be brothers. They were prettier than the women they had been holding. A broad chested, muscular dark skinned man with glowing golden eyes and piercings in his ears and tattoos on his face stood on the other side. To say Zommari was exotic looking was an understatement. Coyote had quite an eclectic group of comrades who were all different degrees of scary.

It was too late to back down now and the ridiculous type of pride she shared with her father would not allow Yumiko to show fear at this time. She turned her arrow to aim at the lethal looking beanpole sneaking up on her left. The arrow flew through the air, anchoring him to the wall after slicing through the loose sleeve of his shirt before turning to do the same to Yammy on the right. She had only punctured their clothing and their pride but not their bodies. Pulling a third arrow from her quiver, she turned it back to Coyote leveling it at his head. He would not be so lucky in escaping physical damage if she shot her arrow at him.

"I won't miss even if you move," she warned in a threatening gravelly voice as he leaned forward to stand while pushing the not so happy hooker from his lap. Keeping the deadly tip of the arrow aimed at his head as he calmly stood and advanced toward her, she reached up to push back the hood. She had no idea his narrow eyes were capable of opening that wide as they became completely round.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" he asked, pushing the irritated blonde out of the way to stare at his betrothed.

"I would ask you the same thing but it would be strictly rhetorical since your intentions are obvious. Are you making the most of the time you have left before we are married?" she inquired, smiling with dark glee from the stunned chorus of the word married that rang out from the women in the room.

"What do you mean?" he asked moving closer to her despite the arrow that was now aimed to pierce his heart.

"Don't you know? You were there right? Or did you sleep through that part of the marriage contract negotiation?" Yumiko was rather enjoying the flow of emotions that crossed his face from confusion to anger and back again. After watching him stew in his own misery and desperation in his struggle to understand what she meant, she decided to help him out. "If you are unfaithful after the marriage vows, our marriage will be over. I can leave you and you will never, ever see me again."

An expression that she would swear was disappointment mixed with sadness contorted his handsome face. However, it was gone in a flash to be replaced by unadulterated rage. His pale skin turned pink then red as his anger narrowed eyes locked themselves onto her face. Lowering her bow, Yumika calmly withdrew the arrow placing it back in the quiver. It only took a few steps for him to reach her. She kept her mouth shut as he seized her by the cloak and pulled her over the bar. It hurt; bruising her ribs and her shins as he dragged her across the highly polished wood to hold her in front of him. The tranquil smirk on her face as she held the gaze of his fiery steel-blue eyes gave him pause before he released the hand he held up to deliver a slap to her cheek.

"Let me guess...if I lay a hand on you that will be another out for you won't it?" Coyote questioned her. It infuriated him more when she dared to smile and nodded. "Dammit!"

Yumiko stumbled backwards a few steps when he pushed her before letting her go. Satisfied she had sufficiently ruined his evening, she turned to leave. She curtsied in response to the polite and reverent bow from the kind bartender who seemed a bit chagrined that he had not known about her royal status earlier. This time she boldly walked out of the house of ill repute through the front door amid gawking stares from women and men alike. Finding her horse down the street grazing on a small patch of grass, she grabbed fistfuls of his mane before hefting herself onto his back. She had found hope in her dismal situation. At least for tonight, she could return to the castle and sleep peacefully. She seriously doubted her husband-to-be would be able to do the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Coyote lay in his bed, naked and with his eyes closed, ready for sleep. But it would not come. He had lain there for hours watching the light steadily fill his room as thoughts of her filled his brain. Blinded by the brilliant mid morning sun and nearly crazy from the endless ruminating about the aggravating yet captivating Yumiko, he squeezed his eyes shut tighter and wished for sleep - or death - whichever came first would be a blessed respite. A groan of profound mental anguish passed his lips when the shrill screams of feminine joy pierced his eardrums. The giggles of elation hit his tortured brain like a sledgehammer. This was worse than any hangover he had ever experienced. Recognizing one of the voices as that of his affianced, he dragged his body out of the bed along with the sheet to cover up his nakedness. Standing at the window, he watched the heart warming reunion taking place between mother and daughter and then the two sisters. A smile pulled up the corners of his mouth to see the cold-hearted shrew bouncing with excitement and happiness as she hugged her mother and sister multiple times.

The diminutive new arrivals were as alike as Yumiko and her father. The mother and little sister were the same height which was only up to the oldest daughter's shoulders. Their ebony hair hung to their shoulders and the mother's eyes were a violet-blue color where the daughter's eyes were an intense dark violet almost purple color. The mother and daughter looked like an older and younger version of the same person. They possessed an elegance and refinement that complemented the frigid, aloof air possessed by the father and older daughter. Surprisingly enough, his dear Yumiko was the more emotionally demonstrative of the three as she hopped around waving her arms dramatically as she talked to them. Their voices carried easily on the breeze to his window as he continued to observe them.

"So what is your husband-to-be like?" her mother inquired, her eyebrows drawing together when her daughter's animated behavior abruptly halted.

Coyote was not sure if he wanted hear this answer. Preparing himself to hear a steady stream of insults and words not so becoming of a lady, he was shocked by her pleasant, almost emotionless reply.

"He's handsome. I'm not sure what kind of man he is yet. I have barely spoken to him," she informed them.

Coyote's smile returned. She had an interesting way of explaining things and creatively telling the truth.

"Well, there will be plenty of time to get to know him," her mother assured her in a very soft, gentle voice.

"Oh, yes, a lifetime. Tell death do you part, you know," her sister reminded her.

Coyote's smile broadened when he imagined the glare the sister received for that. He watched them enter the castle doors below linked arm and arm as their voices floated away from his ears. Leaning against the stone window frame, his head pounded from the confusion he felt in his muddled mind. He wanted to know her. For the first time in his life, he could honestly say he wanted to know more about a woman than the carnal delights that she could provide him with for a night. Giving up on sleep completely, he decided to get dressed and take a walk to clear his head.

~\.../~

As he was returning home from his lengthy trek through the forest and surrounding farmland, Coyote could see her in the vast clearing behind the castle. He moved closer to see what she was doing before stopping to stare at her. She was dressed in brown leather from head to toe: knee high boots, tight pants, and a vest that bared her middle and a good bit of her breasts. It was as if she had stepped straight out of his fondest fantasy, and he had to take a moment to make sure he was not actually in bed dreaming. His eyes followed her well-trained movements as she raised the bow and pulled back on the string to aim her arrow at her target sitting on a table beneath the lone ancient oak in the middle of the clearing. For the first time he noticed the tiny scar on her cheek that had been caused by years of the feather fletching from the arrow scraping across her delicate skin. His eyes remained on her as the she let the arrow fly toward the apple placed at least 20 yards away.

Yumiko simply smiled in approval when the arrow met its mark, knocking the fruit clear off the table and skewering it to the trunk of the tree. Lowering her bow, she turned her head to meet the intense gaze of the man studying her.

"You're amazing," he complimented a little more breathlessly than he had intended to.

"Thank you," she replied, lowering her eyes to the ground and blushing light pink. After twisting a lock of her straight flowing black hair through her fingers, she turned to walk to the table to set up another target.

Coyote followed her doing his best to keep his eyes from concentrating on the way the leather so wonderfully encased her behind. He kept moving his eyes upward to stare at the back of her head no matter how many times they wandered back down. When she bent down to pick an apple from the bushel basket under the table, there was no way to stop his eyes from taking in the sight of her butt in the tight leather.

"Shouldn't you be taking a nap or something?" she inquired with a hint of derision in her voice as she sat the apple on the table that was covered with splashes of juice and bits of white flesh from previous victims.

"Yes, actually I should be," he answered, snatching the apple off the table and taking a big bite.

"Hey! You stole my target!" Yumiko exclaimed, getting another one from the basket. She glared at him when he plucked it from the table as well.

Coyote threw the apple into the air then caught it before meeting the irritated gaze of the archer. He balanced the apple on his palm holding it out to the side of his of body. "Could you shoot it off my hand?"

"Is that a challenge?" she inquired, raising a dark eyebrow.

"I believe you can do it. Show me," he said with an 'I dare you' tone to his voice. "I trust you."

"Hmmmm," she mumbled, considering the man as he continued to hold out the apple. "All right then."

Yumiko trotted back to her previous spot and prepared to take the shot. _I trust you._ Her eyes met his briefly, holding his steady gaze. Receiving an encouraging nod from him, she shifted her eyes to the shiny red fruit sitting in the palm of his hand. If she was off by the slightest degree, she would miss entirely or impale his hand most likely causing irrevocable damage. No pressure. Taking a deep breath, she steadied the tip of her arrow, settling it on the target that seemed so far away now that it was held in his hand. Sweat beaded above her lip and she could taste the saltiness after licking her lips nervously. _I believe you can do it. _

"All right, Coyote. I'll make sure your trust is not misplaced," she muttered to herself.

Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them wide lining up her shot one last time before releasing the string. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting its mark in the very heart of the fleshy fruit but without knocking it from his hand because he was holding onto it. Yumiko rushed toward him, flinging her arms around his neck to give him an unexpected embrace. Her jubilation over her excellent marksmanship gave way to astonished embarrassment when she realized whose body she had attached herself to. Hopping backwards away from him, she stared at the grass beneath her feet while struggling to regain her composure. Lifting her chin and poking her nose into the air, she donned her shroud of false dignity and her typical air of frosty superiority.

"Don't do that, dammit. You were human for a moment," Coyote grumbled, moving toward her.

"Why you insolent - " Her words were immediately frozen in her throat when he put his arm around her waist and pulled her against his body.

"You're going to be my wife, damn you, so you might as well get used to the idea. I think I might even like you if you would just get beyond your own selfishness," he growled, holding her face in his hand to prevent her from looking away from him. "Would it be so bad if we found a way to love each other?"

"What?" she gasped, her tumultuous gray eyes darkening as they held the soul searching gaze of his blue-gray ones.

"Do you think I want this marriage? Did it ever occur to you that I might be quite happy with my life? Just because you don't agree with it and you look down on me because you think I'm a hopeless drunk and habitual womanizer, doesn't mean I don't like my life!" he yelled in her face, watching her blink in bewilderment. "But since you...since you interrupted my life Miss High and Mighty I can't think about any woman but you and you're driving me insane!"

"You didn't seem to have a problem thinking about another woman the other night. Were you thinking about me as you bedded her?" she demanded, attempting to pull away from him but he only tightened his grip around her waist to keep her from moving.

"Are you jealous?" he inquired mockingly, his lips nearly grazing hers.

"Yes, no, uh...well, what if I am?" Her body started shaking as his forefinger traced the tiny scar on her cheek. She closed her eyes, gathering fistfuls of his shirt in her hands when his lips contacted her skin to kiss the tiny permanent mark from the feathers of her arrows burrowing ever slightly into her skin with each pass from aim to release.

"Why can't you just admit you might actually like me? Do you think you could love me?" he asked, his lips touching the outer rim of her ear.

"Coyote, I don't...I don't know," she stammered, inhaling sharply when his lips pressed to the skin beneath her earlobe. Her skin erupted in goose-flesh and a tingling sensation crept up her spine. Without intending to, she rubbed her body against his feeling his unmistakable state of arousal against her bare belly.

"What are you afraid of?" He pushed her hair behind her ear, dragging his lips along her jaw to her chin.

"Do I have anything to be afraid of?" Her lips quivered as his hovered above them.

"Only yourself," he murmured, touching her lips with his.

Yumiko felt her knees weaken and was thankful for the strong grip he had on her. Her hands let go of his shirt and slid around his neck. She pressed her lips to his with more pressure, whimpering when his tongue stroked across her bottom lip. Her lips parted and he took that as a request for entry, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

Coyote buried his fingers in her silky hair as he tasted her mouth. She was sweeter and more giving than he expected. Her submissiveness to his exploring tongue aroused him even more. One of his hands untangled itself from her hair to move to her chest. Unfortunately, pressing his hand over her breast was like pressing a sensibility button and she ripped her lips from his. His mind had not fully comprehended her change in mood until her hand came across his face and issued him a dose of painful clarity.

"You bastard! I'm not one of your whores! I am going to be your wife!" she yelled at him, picking up her bow from the ground before stalking toward the castle.

"Oh, there's my girl," he muttered to himself, staring at her ass shamelessly this time. "The one I detest and loathe. The one I will be marrying."

Coyote kept his avaricious eyes on her tight-assed, hurried retreat while rubbing his sore and damaged cheek. A true Princess through and through, Yumiko Kuchiki by far was the most infuriating female he had ever known. He pressed his hand over his rapidly beating heart as his brain made a shocking and somewhat distressing realization. No doubt about - he was in love.


	5. Chapter 5

Yumiko found it difficult to ignore Coyote's ardent gaze at the dinner table. She was sitting across the massive table from him between her mother and sister. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on the conversation with his penetrating grayish blue eyes on her face and the memory of his kiss on her lips. Her fingers went to her lips, tracing them while replaying that kiss in her imagination. Her eyes met his and the leering grin on his face made her blush.

"The wedding is planned for a week from now," Hisana said, touching her daughter's hand.

"What?" her daughter asked, startled back into being a participating member of the conversation by the statement. "A week?"

"Coyote's brothers and their wives will be arriving tomorrow. There will be a grand ball held in your honor to celebrate the engagement the next evening. How exciting," Rukia stated in her usual bland, toneless manner of speaking.

"Exciting indeed," Yumiko grunted, putting down her fork to stop pushing the piece of roasted pork around her plate. Her mother had been busy finalizing the wedding plans with King Baraggan today. It was so close. She reached for her goblet of wine and took a big sip before asking her sister, "Did you bring your knight in shining armor to be your escort to the ball? Surely he was along for the ride to protect you on the journey here."

Rukia choked on her piece of bread, shooting it across the table to hit Nnoitra, Coyote's personal bodyguard, in the face. She ignored the man's glare as he wiped the spit left behind from the food from his forehead. She was too angry to notice his disgust due to her sister's purposely poorly veiled reference to Renji.

"What are you wearing to the ball, dear sister? Surely you were told about the event," she snapped, already knowing her sister was not aware after seeing her eyes widen with surprise earlier. "But lucky you...you already know who your escort for the evening will be."

Rukia glanced across the table at the man who had been staring at her sister throughout dinner. It had been almost sickening the way Coyote looked at her sister with such affection. She raised her goblet of wine in a silent toast before drinking deeply from the cup.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed," Yumiko announced, pushing her chair back from the table which caused the heavy wooden legs to scrape noisily across the floor.

Coyote stood up as well, waiting for her to come around the table. "I'd like to walk you to your room," he said, offering her his arm.

"It's really not necessary," she assured him, giving him a kind smile.

"But I want to," he told her, gently holding her upper arm while gazing into her eyes.

"All right then," she agreed, sliding her arm through the one he offered.

Coyote led her out of the dining hall, pressing his hand over hers that rested lightly on his arm. When they reached the end of the hall, he paused at the stairs.

"Where are we really going?" she inquired when he hesitated. She smiled impishly at him when he turned to stare at her in a bit of surprise.

"You really are an intelligent woman. I'm so glad you're going to be mine," he said, laying his hand along her jaw and neck as he looked at her.

Yumiko found herself leaning forward, inviting him to kiss her again. She gasped when he leaned backwards away from her and seized her by the hand.

"Not here. It wouldn't be befitting of a lady if someone were to see us," he explained, pulling her down the hall away from the stairs and toward the kitchen. He had no problem disparaging the honor and plainly using other women, but she was not like other women.

Yumiko jerked her hand from his to reach out and snatch two of the little cakes from the dessert tray as they ran through the kitchen. There was no reason for them to miss dessert. She giggled as they were greeted with a mix of knowing smiles and shock widened eyes from the kitchen servants during their escape.

"Here. I stole this for you," she laughed, handing him the small cake topped with cream and exotic fruit that his father had specially brought in to impress his guests. Unfortunately, they had already imported many of the same fruits and had actually began growing them in the gardens and orchards around their castle in the East.

"Oh, my Princess!" he gasped feigning shock and disappointment. "An archer and a thief! What other surprises do you have for me?"

Yumiko ignored the teasing statement, cramming the cake in her mouth to make it disappear in two big bites.

"Are you half shark? Or pig?" he joked, receiving a punch in the arm. It actually hurt. He might have a bruise there tomorrow, but he did not care. He loved seeing her like this, and it would be worth it.

They strolled slowly across the field. Neither one of them quoted their destination but they were both walking in the direction of the tree in the middle. Stopping at the bottom, Coyote climbed up first, not caring if he ripped his pants or shirt. Sitting on the lowest branch, he reached down for her hand.

"Oh, come on...don't tell me you haven't climbed a few trees," he said, staring down at her with a broad smile of amusement. He also had a great view down the top of her dress from where he was sitting.

"But I'm wearing a dress," she protested, fluffing out the skirt.

Coyote's smile turned into a lecherous grin. He had seen her fluff her skirts like that before and he already knew what she wore under her dresses. "I know you have pants on. Come on up."

Yumiko pressed her lips together in agitation. He was beginning to learn her idiosyncrasies and habits already. She had no idea he had actually taken notice of her with all of his drinking and fraternizing. Pulling the dress over her head, she tossed it up to him.

Coyote was pleased to see she was still in her leather get up that she had been wearing earlier during target practice. He carefully lay the dress over the branch beside him so it would not get wrinkled. Reaching down again, he was even more pleased with the view at this time. He knew she was capable of climbing the tree by herself, but it was gratifying to see her accept his assistance and grasp his hand so he could pull her up. Leaning his back against the trunk of the tree, he positioned her in between his legs that straddled the thick branch. He wanted her to rest against him instead of the gnarled and rough bark of the tree. Somehow he managed not to sigh when she reclined against his chest with her head tucked beneath his chin.

They stared up at the deep blue-black sky counting the tiny white stars that glittered above them without saying a word. Yumiko took his hand in hers, lacing her fingers through his. She smiled to think of the shocked expression that must be on his face from her unanticipated romantic gesture.

"Do you still hate me?" Coyote queried, brushing the fingers of his free hand through her dark locks.

"No. But I'm still not sure if I like you," she chuckled, making him laugh as well. She had thought a lot that afternoon about what he had said to her. He was right. She was being selfish and had not been able to see past her own anger to think that _maybe_ he was suffering as well from the arranged marriage that would be taking place in one short week. After reading about his father in those books, she had mistakenly assumed he was just like him: a cold, calculating man who was only making a power grab. "What kind of King do you want to be?"

"I don't know. I've never really thought much about it," he murmured, absent mindedly twisting a strand of her hair around his finger as he talked. "I've never really wanted to a king."

"Really? But - " She was cut off before she could begin asking her many questions.

"It's too much work. It would cut into my nap time." He shifted beneath her although he was more uncomfortable with the topic of conversation than his sitting position. "I've got a question. What kind of wife do you want to be?"

"I don't know. I've never thought much about it. I never really wanted to be a wife," she replied in a grave tone. He would have thought she was joking with him by using his exact phrasing if her tone had not been so serious.

"I suppose we have more in common than we thought," he said, allowing the conversation to cease.

The peace of the silence that followed was quite nice and very comforting. They felt connected in the mutual rebellion against the plans that had been laid for them by their families. Finding common ground negated the need for words at the moment. Both of them were entertaining thoughts that this union might prove to be not only bearable but enjoyable. Voices carried to them on the breeze signaling that someone was walking their way.

"Oh, no," she gasped recognizing the voices as belonging to Rukia and Renji. She whimpered before Coyote's hand covered her mouth to keep her from yelling out when the two people appeared below them.

Yumiko watched in ever-increasing horror as Renji put his hands under her sister's arms and lifted her into the air. Renji pushed her petite sibling against the tree to hold her in place with his body as he ravaged her mouth with a passionate kiss. Her fingers dug into Coyote's thighs as her sister's fingers buried themselves in Renji's crimson red hair that streamed down his back. Her sister had never told her in so many words what kind of lover Renji is but judging by his kiss alone he was as red-hot as the color of his hair hinted. She gasped and closed her eyes when she heard tearing fabric then the low moan of pleasure from her sister.

"Oh, my god," Coyote breathed into her ear, not feeling her nails as they dug into his thighs. He had no idea his hot breath blowing across her ear affected her as much as observing the lovers below was affecting him.

Yumiko desperately wished she could wake up from this nightmare. Why did they chose here of all places for their little tryst? There was a nice stable with plenty of hay in the hayloft. That would have been perfect and more comfortable. What the hell was Rukia thinking? Hearing Renji's animalistic groans of pleasure made her feel a bit queasy and a little excited. Considering her present location, she could feel the effect it was having on Coyote as his turgid manhood twitched and pressed into her lower back. What had started as a lovely bonding moment between them had turned into a definitively sexually torturous and excruciatingly embarrassing situation.

"Just don't think about it," Coyote whispered, not really worried about being overheard by the rambunctious lovers below.

_Yeah, right. Like a starving man wouldn't think about food with a buffet laid out before his eyes. You try not to think about it, Coyote, _she screamed at him in her mind and wished she could transfer the words to his brain.

"Think about finding that next target," he whispered in her ear, sliding his hands along her arms and positioning them as if she was holding her bow. "See it in your mind and draw."

Yumiko pictured one of the round wooden bulls eyes painted red and white she was accustomed to using for practice. She compliantly allowed him to pull back her drawing hand, flinching has his fingers brushed across her cheek like the feather struts. Her body felt electrified and prickly from his tender touch.

"Now let go," he murmured.

And she did. Yumiko twisted her body and jammed her mouth against his with such force and intensity he released a muffled sound of startlement that got lost between them. She grasped his upper arms, feeling his biceps flex under her fingers. Pulling back from him, she met his gaze as he reached up to run his fingers through her hair to move it out of her face.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she stammered, feeling the warmth of a blush and sexual enticement heat her whole body as he stared at her through half lidded eyes.

"Don't be. Will you do that again?" he asked. After spooking her earlier in the day by groping her breast, he decided sometimes it is best to ask for permission rather than forgiveness.

Yumiko could not formulate a sharp-tongued retort to fling at him. Instead, she did as he asked by touching her lips to his. Allowing him to take over, she leaned heavily on his chest until her breasts flattened against his body. The sounds below increased in volume and urgency so they covered each other's ears with their hands to block out the sound and concentrate on their sweet tender kiss.

"Oh, Renji, yes," Rukia shrieked.

Yumiko could not stop herself. She began to giggle. Coyote hung on to her, holding her mouth against his. He could feel her body vibrating next to his from her struggle to maintain her laughter. Getting desperate to keep her quiet and their presence a secret, he wedged his hand between them and grabbed her breast. Surely being felt up would sober her up in a hurry.

"Oh, damn," she gasped, pulling his hair and thrusting her tongue into his mouth.

It was not the reaction he was expecting. It was much better. She was not laughing any longer, he had not gotten slapped, and they were still locked in a passionate kiss. Coyote groaned when her hand touched his knee and glided up his thigh. Pulling his mouth from hers, he stared at her as they both attempted to catch their breath.

"You're not a virgin are you?" he asked, looking at her pouty lips that appeared swollen from the rough kiss.

"No. Are you disappointed? Are you angry?" she inquired anxiously, sucking in her lower lip to chew it nervously. She tried to sit up to move away from him but he held her firmly in place to his chest.

"Oh, hell no. I'm glad. I like a woman who knows what she's doing," he breathlessly responded. He groaned longingly when her lip popped free from her lower teeth and jutted out, slick and shiny with saliva from her tongue. "Innocent virgin's scare the hell out of me, and don't attract me at all."

"Yes, obviously judging by your usual choice of female companion," she cattily remarked, noticing how he kept staring at her lower lip.

"Shut up and don't ruin this please," he requested, closing his eyes and pulling her lips closer to his with his hand on the back of her head.

Yumiko moaned in response when his tongue darted out to lick her lip before slipping into her mouth to seek hers. Her fingers twisted into his shoulder length shaggy hair as he kissed her senseless. By the time they came up for air, the actors in the little show below had completed their performance and moved on.

"Well, that was...unexpected," Coyote commented. Laying back against the tree, he sighed noisily while pulling her head down to rest next to his heart.

"Which part?" she laughed, feeling the rumble of laughter in his chest against her cheek.

"All of it," he rejoined, stroking her hair and allowing his fingers to trail down her back.

Yumiko closed her eyes when he tilted her face upward to kiss her on the forehead. She smiled contentedly from the loving action. It reminded her of her father. It made her feel safe and protected.

"We better get back before everyone realizes we're not in our rooms," Coyote suggested, swinging his long leg over her body. He jumped from his perch to land gracefully on the ground before reaching up for her. "I'll catch you. Come on."

"Are you sure? You're awfully puny looking," she said, trying not to smile from her intentional insult.

"Would you get down here you irritating shrew!" he ordered with a smile.

Yumiko flung her dress over her arm and jumped. She gasped when he caught her in a bridal carry, holding onto her easily and firmly as he walked.

"Shouldn't this wait until you carry me over the threshold?" She toyed with the wisps of hair that blew across his face from the cool night air.

"It could. But I need to see how much exercise I should do to be able to handle my bride," he joked, laughing when she glared at him with a faintly amused expression of aggravation.

"Okay. I'll admit I asked for that one. Here's a hint for future reference, however, never ever tease a woman about her weight. Even when she's had too many sweets and gained a pound or two don't you dare mention it," she said, touching the tip of her finger to his nose.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare," he rejoined with a lascivious grin. "I've always found a plump woman quite pleasant in the bed. None of those pointy pelvic bones to cause friction and bruises."

"In that case let's stop by the kitchen for another one of those cakes," she proposed as he sat her down on her feet.

"We can, but if we do, you will have to do something to work it off." He put his arm around her waist, bringing her body close to his.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Her mouth raised to his and waited for his kiss.

"Yumiko? What are doing out here?" Rukia inquired, appearing from the darkness to stand beside her.

"We decided to go for a walk after dinner. I couldn't sleep," she informed her sister, trying not to laugh at her appearance.

Rukia would be horrified to know disheveled she appeared. Even the dim moonlight did not hide the damage that had been inflicted by their amorous adventures. Her dress was rumpled and torn, her hair mussed with stalks of hay poking out of it at weird angles. They had found the hay loft after all.

"Renji, you can come out. I know you're there," Yumiko called. She wished she had a torch so she could see his face because she was sure the color matched his hair perfectly.

"But how did you - " She stopped talking abruptly when her sister moved very close to her.

Yumiko put her hand on Rukia's shoulder before leaning down to whisper, "Let's just say, next time you should look up when under a tree to ensure that you truly are alone."

Coyote coughed to cover his chuckle when her normally composed sister's jaw dropped open and her already large eyes got even bigger with surprise. He took the hand of his betrothed, walking with her into the castle through the kitchen door. This time he did lead her to her room. Standing in front of her door, he enclosed her body with his arms and brought his mouth to hers for a short and chaste good night kiss.

"Good night, my love," he told her, kissing her on the forehead.

"Good night, Coyote," she murmured, giving him a smile.

Coyote traced her chin with his finger, wanting to remember her just like this. It was tempting to open her door and take her to the bed. But he wanted her to be special to him always. He would save her for their wedding night and consummate their marriage at that time. Turning his back on her, he walked away at a deceivingly leisurely pace. He wanted to run before he gave in to the enticing desire to claim her as his own tonight. He could not say when or how the change in feelings had occurred in him but he was glad it did. It seemed to have made a positive emotional change within her as well.


	6. Chapter 6

Why do families have to be so damn strange? Yumiko lay on the bed thinking about her meeting with the siblings today. All three were handsome men with equally beautiful wives. The oldest brother was incredibly and overbearingly proper, reserved yet egotistical. He even rivaled her father in the attitude of pride and self-importance. His wife was just like him with an extra bit of coldness to her appearance with her frigid blue eyes and snowy white hair. The brother younger than Coyote was loud, flamboyant, and so sexually overt it caused her to wear a permanent blush while in the room with him. He also had the most fantastically weird sky blue hair that was the same color as his eyes. She could not help but be fascinated with the man and his blond-haired, green-eyed wife who was comely and sexually appreciable with impossibly massive breasts. Then there was the youngest brother. He was so incredibly different from the other two. Short and thin, with disturbingly pale skin and the biggest, greenest, and saddest eyes on earth. His wife could not be more opposite of him. Her personality was as brightly colored and warm as her burnt orange hair. She was kind and sweet but a little dim-witted which unfortunately showed in her vacuous dark brown eyes.

Yumiko rolled off the bed. Her stomach ached and rumbled so she decided to sneak down to the kitchen for a snack before lunch. She had just traversed the treacherous, dim stairwell and was making her way down the long hallway to the kitchen when she was seized by the arm and pulled into a room she had not been in before. Turning around in circles, she found herself surrounded by floor to ceiling bookcases on each wall: this must be the library. The fireplace at the end of the room was lit and two of the brothers sat in the large leather chairs in front of it. It was not cold but apparently the fire had been started to produce light and maybe instill a little fear in her from the strange shadows the dancing flames cast on the endless shelves of books.

"Come on, sweet cakes, move your ass," the blue haired wonder growled at her, slapping her across the ass as extra inspiration to get her moving.

Yumiko yelped from the sharp stinging slap that penetrated the layers of her dress and her thin cotton pants that she was wearing. Pulling back her drawing arm which was incredibly strong, she slapped him with all of her might. She felt a glimmer of satisfaction when the unsuspecting man stumbled a bit and grunted from the power of her strike. A smile curled her lips when his hand flew to his cheek that bore her handprint in red.

"Bastard! Don't put your damn hands on me in such a familiar way!" she shouted at him. "I am going to be your brother's wife. You will show me some respect."

"Hmmm," he grunted, smiling at her with a lecherous grin.

"Grimmjow, she is correct," Sosuke's smooth baritone spoke from the shadows created by the fire behind him.

Yumiko watched as he pushed himself to his feet with the grace of a dancer and strolled toward her slowly. She held the intense gaze of dark brown eyes that were disturbingly devoid of emotion. He seemed to be free of any sign of humanity whatsoever. Her skin prickled with goosebumps but she refused to flinch when he reached out to touch her bare arm with his soft cool hand. She was suddenly thankful for the heat from the fire as her body seemed to cool from his touch. Her eyes moved to the youngest brother who still sat in the other chair with his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap as he studied them in silence.

"What do you want?" she questioned the intimidating man. Her chin raised in direct defiance because she refused to be dominated by the man standing in front of her. Besides, she was a Kuchiki. She was her father's child, and she would allow no man, especially not this man, to unnerve her.

"What are your plans for my brother?" he queried, pushing a stray lock of her long hair out of her eyes and behind her ear.

"Shouldn't you be asking him what his plans are for me? I did not seek out his hand in marriage. _Your father _requested mine for Coyote. I am the only one who stands to lose anything in this marriage. The things I will miss the most are my kingdom and my dignity," she venomously spouted, grinning maliciously when his eyes widened momentarily in surprise. "Don't you dare try to threaten me or act like I'm out to get something from this. You and your family are the ones who stand to profit from this marriage."

"Well, smart and beautiful. My brother is a lucky man," he complimented not caring to hide his insincerity before pressing his forefinger against the tip of her chin and raising it even further.

Yumiko was forced to push up on her tiptoes to keep her neck from being held at an awkward and painful angle to stubbornly hold his gaze.

"Stop it, Sosuke," Ulquiorra snapped, rising from his seat. "Can't you see she's not impressed or intimidated by you?"

Yumiko jerked her head away from the oldest brother when his eyes narrowed with anger and swung to glare at his youngest sibling. She took the arm that was offered to her when the young man stepped up next to her. He was offering her an escape from the room, and she was happy to take it.

"Come with me," he stated sternly, making it sound like an order for the sake of his brothers.

"Yes, my lord," she answered submissively, bowing her head. She turned her head to give the brutish big brother a demoralizing grin. Despite his unemotional and collected exterior, she could see the rage seething in his dark brown eyes.

"I don't know if you're willfully stupid or accidentally ignorant but there's something you should know," her escort said when they were several doors away down the hall.

Yumiko opened her mouth to issue a caustic retort but closed it again. There was a warning tone in his voice that made her want to listen to what he had to say.

"My brother was testing you. He plans to exert his power after our father's death to rise to the throne above all five kingdoms," he told her, stopping abruptly and turning her to face him. "You have now managed to make yourself a known threat to him. Be careful. Your future and your life will depend on the decisions you make in the next few years."

"I agreed to marry your brother to prevent a war. Are you telling me that one is going to happen anyway? The defining moment will be when your father dies?" she inquired, her body feeling weighted down with the disconcerting knowledge.

"Yes," he responded bluntly, his large green eyes holding hers.

Yumiko swallowed convulsively until she had destroyed the lump that clogged her throat and threatened to choke her. Her mind was fogged with shock and glutted with questions from the candid and startling information she had just received. On one level the information was not surprising at all. However, she had assumed the wrong brother was the power-hungry mogul who craved a supreme throne and did not care about shedding blood, even that of his own siblings, to get it. Her heart ached and she felt the need to apologize to Coyote. A war was coming and there would be no way to avoid it. After wishing him dead for several weeks, she suddenly hoped that old bastard Baraggan lived forever.

"Why are you telling me this?" she queried breathlessly, flinching when his thumb stroked across her cheek. She did not know she was crying until he wiped away the tear.

"I'm not doing this because I like you. I choose my allies carefully, based on what kind of person they are at their core. You're strong-willed, stubborn, and can hate with a murderous passion." He made this statement with such conviction and poise it made her want to bow and say thank you as if he had graced her with a blessing from God himself. "If anyone can destroy Sosuke's plans it will be you and Coyote. I think father made a distinct strategic error in choosing you from the East Kingdom," he murmured in his soft but powerful voice.

Ulquiorra went on to explain how their wives had been chosen for them based on their weaknesses. Shiroyuki was heartless and apathetic. She would not care what Sosuke did as long as he stayed away from her, and she would never complain about warmongering or the shedding of innocent blood. Tier was only concerned about her next sexual conquest and her beauty treatments so sending her husband off to war would be a welcome respite. Orihime would cry and beg him to stop but other than that, but she would not offer any resistance to his plans.

Yumiko assumed there were plenty of things he did not know about the wives, even his own, that might surprise him. She would get to know them better herself to find out just how accurately he had judged them. Deep down within her, she hoped he had assessed them completely wrong. Although he had been absolutely correct about her, she had always been accused of being transparent and easily read emotionally so it was no surprise he had defined her personality so swiftly.

"My brother Coyote is a desperately lazy and complacent man. He is disinterested in any political matters with a complete lack of motivation for holding a throne, preferring to avoid the topic of his kingship entirely. My father was preying on your infamous rebelliousness to keep Coyote occupied while securing a grip on the last kingdom for his oldest son to easily overtake it. Sosuke was planning on our brother simply abdicating the throne to him with no objections," he explained to her, watching her eyes widen in shock from the frank admission. "But you have presented yourself as a definitive obstacle to those plans. Congratulations, my dear. You've become a target."

Yumiko did not feel hungry anymore. As a matter of fact, she felt quite ill and a little shaky. She had unknowingly incurred the wrath of an avaricious man bent on ruling the world as they know it. This was no longer a simple matter of an arranged marriage. It had become a dark, far-reaching plot to take over and unite the five kingdoms under one monarch. Clenching her teeth, she determined she would never let that happen. She would not allow her father's kingdom to be taken.

"I knew I had wisely chosen you as an ally. Come, we have much to discuss," he said, leading her to the kitchen.

"I need some wine," she muttered, leaning heavily on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. You will be fine. You're a pig-headed, irritating woman who will speak her mind and assert her wishes no matter who she angers." A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his thin lips.

"Thank you?" That was the most unusual bit of flattery she had ever been subjected to.

"Your weaknesses will become your strengths. You're going to need those traits to save your kingdom. To save all of our kingdoms."

~\'.'/~

Lilynette had never been so angry in all of her life. That was saying something because Coyote had a talent for keeping her pissed off. But that bastard father of his had nearly done her in. She had been sent on a wild goose chase, a pointless errand, to keep her busy and out of the castle for days on end. She had been gone long enough for that woman to sink her claws into Coyote without her being able to do a damn thing to stop it. It was the middle of the night, and she had just returned from traveling the countryside in search of a wedding present that did not exist which had only added insult to injury. She bathed quickly in cold water to remove the sweat and grime from her body that had collected on her trip. After dressing in nothing more than her underwear, she decided to hide in the bedroom of her beloved until he returned home to give him a surprise. Instead she was the one who received a surprise by finding him in bed asleep. Why wasn't he at some pub or brothel? What the hell had happened to him? How could so much have changed in just a few days? Anger surged within her and she wished to wrap her hands around a certain pretty neck to strangle the life out of an insidious shrew who had ruined her fabulous Coyote.

Lilynette was startled back to her senses when he groaned and rolled onto his side. Unable to hear what had murmured and not really caring, she crept over to the bed to get a closer look at him. Still handsome and sexy as ever; at least that had not changed. Her fingertips grazed his cheek which elicited another groan from him. Lying down next to him, she positioned her body close to his with the tip of her nose against his while her lips almost pressed to his.

"Yumiko," he moaned, grasping her by the arms and holding her body against his.

_What the hell did he just say? _Before her mind could fully comprehend the name, it was consumed with the realization that he was kissing her and pressing his hard manhood against her belly. Lilynette didn't give a damn if he said that woman's name. He was kissing her and his hands were roaming over her body. She could barely believe what was happening to her.

~...~

Yumiko was strolling past the door to Coyote's room to get to her own when she heard the feminine moan. Unable to sleep, she had been out walking in the dark to clear her head. Curiosity overcame good sense and she opened the door to see who the woman could be that was in his room. Surely he was not stupid enough to have brought a whore home. She could see a small blonde girl who at first she thought was a child. Covering her mouth to keep from screaming in horror, she narrowed her eyes and stared into the semi darkness to see the female more clearly. A tiny bit of relief filled her when she recognized the girl as a grown woman and the servant who had passed her in a huff soon after her arrival at the castle. Rage and hurt overshadowed the twinge of relief when she realized what they were doing. She thought he had left that behind. It was stupid of her to think such a salacious womanizer could ever change his ways. Did she really think she was that special after all? How could she capture his attention and keep him from going back to his normal lifestyle? He had told her himself he was quite happy with all of his salacious activities and heavy drinking.

Yumiko closed the door and backed away with wide terror-stricken eyes that filled with tears. She tried to pull herself together, reminding herself that way down deep he had never changed, it was only to trap her. It was her fault she had fallen for it. Unfortunately, it did not stop the heartache she was enduring at the moment. Her back contacted the stone wall behind her but she could not feel the sharp edges of the stones pressing into her skin. She was too numb.

"Yumiko? What is it?" A deep voice questioned her, drawing her attention away from the sounds of sex from Coyote's room that filled her ears and pounded her brain.

Yumiko wordlessly turned her head to look at Grimmjow whose blue eyebrows were drawn together over his nose. Rather than staring at her with lust in his light blue eyes, he was gazing at her with pity due to the emotional distress evident on her face. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together with a modicum of pride, albeit fake pride at this time to cover her humiliation, but pride nonetheless. Folding her hands over her churning stomach, she resisted the urge to be sick and held her head high.

"Don't look at me like that," she muttered, raising her nose in that infuriating way she had and turning her back to him. "I don't need your pity."

Grimmjow grabbed her by the arm to hold her up when she stumbled in her attempt to walk away. He moved closer to her, pulling her body against his chest. Inhaling deeply, the sweet cherry scent of her filled his nostrils. Damn, she smelled as sweet as she looked in her helpless, injured state. He put his arm around her waist, feeling her body stiffen. It pleased him that she did not pull away or try to flee - or slap him. Her body started shaking, and he pressed his lips to the back of her neck that was revealed to him from her hair being held up and twisted up in bun. His eyes traveled down her back to see she was dressed in a billowy black cotton shirt and black cotton pants. His hand followed the path of his eyes over her shapely derriere.

"I don't want to pity you," he whispered, hearing her sharp inhale when his lips brushed her neck again. "I want to comfort you."

"You want to screw me senseless. Just say it," she growled through her clenched teeth.

"What if I did?" he queried, sliding his finger along her jaw and turning her head to look at him as he moved around in front of her. His finger traced her lips. Sensing her lower lip quivering as he lazily dragged his finger across it, he whispered "I like your sassy mouth."

"Are you going to tease me all night or just do it?" she challenged, issuing a slight squeaking sound when he pulled her body against his with one strong arm around her waist.

"Teasing you is part of the fun...the excitement." He paused, kissing her briefly on the lips. "Then I'll do it."

Yumiko stared into his eyes as he looked down at her while he held her tightly against him. At this moment, she would welcome him tearing into her with the untamed lust she saw in his eyes. Something akin to disappointment filled her when he turned his back to her and took her hand to lead her down the hallway. She compliantly allowed him to lead her to her bedroom. For some reason it did not astonish her that he knew which room was hers.

"I want to take the pain away," he said, reaching up to pull the hair pins from her bun to free her hair.

Yumiko shook her head, allowing her locks to flow and settle along her shoulders and back. Her eyes remained closed as he circled her. She could feel his body heat when he stood in front of her without touching her. Her body flinched when his fingers touched her cheeks. Keeping her eyes closed, she bit her lower lip as his gentle fingers played over her cheekbones and along her jaw before sliding down her neck. How could such a sexually aggressive man be so gentle?

"Open your eyes," he ordered in a low voice. "Look at me."

Grimmjow gazed deeply into the dark gray eyes of the lovely woman standing in front of him. She stood almost nose to nose with him. Tall and graceful, curvy and muscular; she was almost as beautiful as his wife. There was an underlying confidence and dignity in her that he admired. She had an indomitable spirit that would never be broken. Not even by his brother's stupidity and selfishness. Coyote needed her more than he would ever admit especially for what was to come. Although he did not care much for his brother and he was very attracted to this woman, he would not have sex with her. He respected her too much to violate her boundaries, and it pissed him off.

"Did my baby brother talk to you?" he asked, stepping away from her and walking toward the window.

"What?" She was completely bumfuzzled by his sudden change in mood and subject.

"He told you what will happen when our father dies I'm sure. He sees the same thing in you that I do. I'm not as stupid and shallow as everyone assumes," he said pointedly, turning his luminescent, piercing eyes on her. "Even you."

Yumiko was thankful for the muted light that would prevent her blush of embarrassment from being seen. He had been correct; she viewed him as a brainless, good looking, erection with legs. She waited until the sting of humiliation had passed before she moved toward him.

"It's okay really," he assured her, giving her a feral smile that made him appear as if he wanted to bite her. "It keeps people from being suspicious. I like holding the element of surprise. The expression of shock on their faces is gratifying when they get what's coming to them."

~...~

Coyote awoke with a start when his hand covered the disconcertingly flat breast. This was not the firm round globe of flesh that he had held in his hand and belonged to Yumiko. This belonged to -

"LILYNETTE!" he bellowed, pushing her away from him. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?"

"Trying to give you want you want and to get what I need," she murmured, rubbing her womanhood against his manhood that was slowly deflating from lack of interest and disgust.

"The only thing I want from you right now is for you to get the hell out!" he yelled at her, ripping the sheet off the bed to wrap around him as he vacated it.

"Coyote, please," she begged, crawling out of the bed and walking toward him.

"Get out, Lilynette, please. I don't love you. I don't want you," he said, holding the sheet around him protectively as she advanced toward him. "Just leave. Now."

Grimmjow was nearly bowled over by the panicked, tear filled exit of the tiny blonde woman. He walked through the open door of his brother's room to see him standing at the window staring at the moonlit courtyard.

Coyote saw a shadow move that had the distinct silhouette of a woman - his woman, Yumiko. He contemplated where she could be going as she raced across the property toward the stable dressed in her riding cloak.

"You better go after her," Grimmjow suggested, laughing when his brother winced from his unexpected presence in the room.

"What - "

"She thinks you were having sex with Lilynette. You better go get her. Or you're going to lose her. Dumbass."


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to my beta xfang-girlx for going over this for me with a literary fine toothed comb. I appreciate the help as always.

* * *

Coyote had just unlatched the stable doors when they flew open. He jumped back swiftly to avoid getting smacked by the doors and lost his footing which caused him to fall on his behind. Although it would not do much good, instinctively he shielded his face with his arm when the horse reared up and released an ear shattering, shrieking whinny.

"Whoa! Whoa, there!" Yumiko called to the horse in a voice with strained tranquility. Leaning forward, she clung to her steed's thick black neck as he pawed the air angrily from being startled. Looking down she saw what, or rather who, had frightened the horse: Coyote lay on the ground immobile at the moment, probably from shock. She knew when the horse came down, his hooves would land on the helpless man's chest which would most likely kill him. While still holding on to the horse's neck, she leaned all of her weight to the side in hopes it would offset his balance and make him fall on his side. The horse was a war horse and had been trained to take a fall, however, she had not.

Coyote moved his arm when he heard the thunderous thud of a great weight crashing to the ground which tremored under him. He opened his eyes to see the black stallion struggling to his feet before the beast nonchalantly cantered back into the stable to his stall. His eyes next fell on the still figure on the ground wrapped in a black cloak.

"Yumiko!" he gasped, crawling over to her. He took a moment to gather his wits before pulling back the black cloak. There was no blood or marks on her face. His hands began moving over her body checking for damage. As his hands slid up her ribs and accidentally grazed her breasts, he received a jaw jarring slap across the cheek.

"Damn, pervert! Isn't one woman a night enough? Bastard!" she screamed in a rage, pulling back her hand to slap him again.

This time Coyote was ready and grabbed her wrist. He held her death inducing gaze and could feel the hatred radiating from her. "Oh, yeah, you're going to be just fine aren't you?"

"Let me go! Let me go!" she howled like a trapped animal, kicking at him after he secured her other wrist.

Coyote fell forward since he was already in an awkward position holding her wrists to keep her from hitting him. He landed on top of her which only seemed to enrage her more. Holding on to her wrists, he risked bruised ribs and permanent hearing loss as she bucked like the horse she had just been on and screamed at the top of her voice. Stubbornly refusing to let go, he lowered his whole weight onto her to hold her still and waited until her voice began to grow coarse and die away to a raspy whisper.

"You dirty, disgusting bastard," she moaned in a coarse whisper. Her body shook with a sob as tears ran across her temples and disappeared into her hair. "I hate you. I hate you."

"If you did, you wouldn't care. You wouldn't be so upset right now if you truly didn't love me," he said, looking down at her as she squeezed her eyes shut tight to avoid looking at him.

"You fu - " Her words were cut off by a kiss. Unable to scream not only from his lips but from her raw throat, she lay still under him because her tortured muscles would not allow her to move.

"Don't say such things," he whispered to her, nuzzling her nose with his. "I didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't - "

"Then what the hell were you doing?" she demanded, opening her eyes to give him a lethal glare.

"She came to me while I was asleep. I was dreaming about you. I thought it was you in a dream," he explained, gazing into her to eyes. "I know it's a paltry excuse, even to my own ears, but it's the truth. Please, Yumiko, please believe me."

"Why should I?" she questioned him, struggling to free herself with a burst of physical strength brought on by her untamed anger.

"I love you. You're the only one I want," he said, releasing her wrists. If she wanted to slap him she could, but he wanted to touch her. His fingertips lay along her jaw as his eyes focused on her lips that were slightly parted while she panted for air.

"Really? Am I really?" she inquired with disdain, still not believing him although she wanted to. Her lower lip began to quiver with emotion and need as he continued to stare at it hungrily. She was unable to contain the gasp of surprise from his emotion laden eyes as they flickered up to hers. Disinterest had been replaced by sadness and wanton need.

"Yes," he murmured breathlessly. "You're everything I want...and need."

Yumiko slid her hands around his neck and curled her fingers into his thick wavy hair. She pulled his mouth down to hers with a crushing force while pushing her pelvis up into his. Her tongue slid between his lips to seek his. A moan escaped her when his hips moved again, pressing his manhood against her. Confusion overwhelmed her overstimulated brain when he removed his lips from hers with a jerk of his head.

"I want to save you. I want you to be my wife first," he told her, looking into her eyes that were glazed with unrepentant desire.

"Oh, my god, Coyote! The one time you want to be proper and do the right thing in your life, it has to be now," she lamented, pushing on his chest to make him move.

"If not now, when?" he asked, thoroughly baffled by her behavior. She seemed to have that effect on him quite frequently. It was getting annoying.

"How about when it's time for you to take the throne? Fight for it! Fight to stay king. Do the right thing then," she said, sitting up to stare at him with piercing clarity to get her point across. "Fight for my kingdom...your kingdom. And fight for me."

Coyote sighed noisily, avoiding her gaze that penetrated him straight through to his heart. He stood up, aggravated not with her but with himself this time. If she had not added the last part, he might have been able to ignore her plea, to dismiss it totally from his consciousness. Reaching down her pulled her to feet and attempted to lead her to the castle, but she refused to move.

"Promise me," she persisted, digging the heels of her boots into the ground.

"Yumiko, please, it's late and we need sleep," he muttered, tugging on her arm but her body did not budge one inch. Whirling around to glare at her, he allowed his temper to lead and yelled, "You irritating, hard headed, opinionated woman!"

"Is that the best you've got?" she challenged him, snatching her hand out of his.

Coyote pressed his lips together, glaring at her in extreme agitation. Leaning down in front of her, he hit her below the knees with his shoulder and hefted her over like a sack of grain.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" she screamed as he entered the stable and began to climb the ladder to the hayloft. She did not kick or flail her arms for fear he would drop her during the ascent. Her stomach lurched with the anticipation of what might be about to happen when he unceremoniously flung her onto her back into the thick pile of hay.

Coyote dropped down to his knees between her legs that were splayed out in front of him after planting her in the hay. He moved over the top of her on all fours, looking down at her. She was incredibly sexy with her surprise widened eyes and bits of hay stuck in her hair. Dirt clung to her clothes from their struggle outside on the ground.

"You're dirty. Don't you want to take those clothes off?" he questioned her, not waiting for an answer.

Yumiko held her breath as he untied her cloak and pushed it away before freeing the ribbon that tied the top of her lace up shirt she was wearing underneath. She closed her eyes and inhaled carefully measured breaths as he took his time unlacing the leather straps that held the loose folds of cotton together. Her skin prickled and erupted into goosebumps when his fingers skimmed across her ribs to push the material aside. She was not wearing any other kind of undergarments and opened her eyes when his fingertips brushed across her erect nipple that hardened even further after receiving his touch. Her hands moved down to his pants, but he caught them and moved them away.

"Don't. Let me take my time," he whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.

Yumiko sighed in a mixture of pleasure and frustration when his hand covered her breast and squeezed gently. Her fingers tentatively moved down his neck to his shirt and slipped inside of the deeply cut front to touch his chest. His skin was warm and smooth until her fingertips reached the light covering of soft hair across his well-developed pectorals. Daring to move lower, she traced the trail of hair that grew increasingly narrow as she neared his waist where her hand stopped.

"No further," he reminded her, sliding his hand over her hip and around her behind when she raised her body. His mouth covered hers to contain the moan she emitted when he grabbed a handful of the firm flesh and squeezed.

"Coyote, please," she begged, pulling his shirt out of his pants. "At least take this off."

Reluctantly removing his hands from her body, Coyote seized the collar of the shirt behind his neck and took it off with one hard yank. He discarded it next to them, in a hurry to get his hands back on her body. Covering her breasts with both hands, he pressed his lips to her neck. Her sharp inhale and the way she pushed her breasts into his palms aroused him to the point of inflicting pain. As his lips moved down her neck, his hands moved down her body.

Yumiko tried not to wiggle too much but it was useless. Her body writhed beneath his tender touch as his hands made their way down to her pants where they hooked over the top and pulled downward. Raising her hips, she dug her fingers into his shoulders as his lips pressed kisses along her belly in tandem with the downward motion to remove her pants. She reached down to help him with removing the boots so she could be completely naked for him.

"Will it make it any less special not being our wedding night? I'm yours no matter when it happens," she said, her fingers drifting over his ridged abdomen as he knelt between her legs.

"That's all I need," he murmured, pushing her hands down to the bulge pressing against the restraint of his leather pants.

Yumiko gasped and bit her lower lip when she felt it move beneath her hand. She massaged him through the leather, watching his face squinch up in a way that made her wonder if it hurt. Her hands moved upward, tugging at the waist to pull the pants down and free him from the obvious discomfort of the leather prison.

"I was afraid I had lost you. Twice actually," he told her, aiding her in removing the pants. "I don't want to lose you ever."

"Then make me yours for all time," she pled with him, gasping then giggling nervously when he popped free of the clothing restraint.

Coyote could feel her body shaking beneath him and debated if it was all her doing all of the trembling. He had never wanted a woman so much in all of his life. It was quite unnerving and unsettling on a certain level. Keeping a studious eye on her gorgeous face, he observed the changing expressions as he penetrated her body. It changed from relief to surprise to fear with widened eyes and mouth open in a silent cry. When her eyes fluttered shut and her face relaxed into an expression of sheer delight, he sank into her completely. After a sigh of satisfaction from both of them, he took the time to indulge in a lingering kiss, lazily teasing her tongue as she teased him with an occasional rocking of her hips beneath him.

"This won't last forever," she informed him, grasping his behind with her long fingers and holding him against her. "But we can always do it again."

"I plan to. Often," he murmured in her ear, tracing the outer rim with his tongue.

"Oh, Coyote, please do," she begged, moving under him more insistently.

"As you wish, my lady," he rejoined, pushing up on his hands and knees. He was ready to make love to her in earnest. So far he had evoked gasps and moans from her. He knew she could scream and yell. For once, he wanted her to do it with pleasure instead of anger.

Yumiko enclosed his body with her arms as he thrust into her with power and fervor. The soft hair on his chest tickled and aroused her nipples as he moved across the top of her with each push of his hips. She smiled with self-satisfaction as he grunted and growled in her ear like an animal. He was very much like a wolf; voracious, insatiable, and untamed. Sweat beaded and rolled down his body, dripping onto hers to mingle with the sweat that had erupted on her skin. Surrounded with the sweet, grassy scent of the hay mixed with the distinct smells of sweat and sex only served to excite them both more as the passion grew between them.

Coyote opened his eyes to look at her. It surprised him and raised his state of arousal to see she was staring at him through half lidded eyes that were heavy with lust. His hips moved faster and produced a small cry that wrenched itself free from her throat while she raised her hips to meet his strokes. He shuddered and lurched forward, almost releasing inside of her but he was able to hold back. When her body convulsed and she screamed his name, he gave in to the pleasure allowing his seed to be deposited inside of her. He jerked sporadically and groaned with satisfaction in reply to her whimper of gratification. Never before had he released inside of a woman. He had not want any unexpected heirs to throne. Until now, he had not wanted to be tied to a woman for any reason for the rest of his life. Dropping down into the slightly scratchy hay beside her, he put his arm over her body to hold her close.

"I'll be the king you want me to be. I'll be the man you need me to be. Promise me you'll always be by my side," he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek. "I promise I will fight for you."

"Then I promise I will always be your queen...your wife, your lover, your greatest advocate," she assured him, using his ears to bring his mouth to hers.

"Sealed with a kiss," he murmured with a chuckle. "I like that."

~...~

A flash of silver moved across the courtyard at a high rate of speed as his mind reeled with plans. Gin was so busy plotting he was not even sexually excited by what he had just witnessed and heard. He was too stimulated with thoughts of political intrigue and how to do away with the woman who now stood in their way. It had been too easy to deceive that fool Baraggan while secretly catering to his eldest son all of these years. He had helped groom that boy into a fine man who would one day be king. He would see to that personally. Perhaps he should have a chat with that big-mouthed, red-headed knight the Kuchiki clan had brought with them. A little wine would do much to loosen the lips and with any luck unlock a wealth of information he could use against the family. After all, the man seemed to know intimate details about the family; some members more than others considering he was canoodling the younger sister unbeknownst to the clueless parents.

"Puh," he muttered to himself, thinking of the arrogant king who was so disgustingly self-assured. "If only he knew what _both _of his sweet daughters were doing."

No matter. One of these days the obnoxious, high-and-mighty King Byakuya would lose his throne, his kingdom, and his daughter forever. No longer would be pretentious and haughty. He would be a sad shell of a man, a sham, a ghost of a human being left with nothing. This thought made Gin's foxish grin grow wider in sadistic delight.


	8. Chapter 8

Yumiko snuggled into the bed, pulling the sheet tighter around her body as her mind began to slowly drift into the world of the living. She was aware of the beams of light filtering into the room and the distinct chill of the morning air. The remnants of the most wonderful dream lingered at the edges of her consciousness. Her mind reformed the delicious image of Coyote kneeling above her, shirtless and wearing tight leather pants that could not hide his evident masculinity. She sighed when she could almost smell the sweet aroma of fresh hay and feel his silky chest hair against the palm of her hand. Reaching up to scratch her head, her fingers encountered something flat, dry, and grass like. Or maybe it was more like...hay. Springing up to a sitting position with her eyes wide open, she stared at the hay in her hand.

"Oh, my god," she gasped, hearing a groan of protest just before a big strong hand groped her naked breast.

"Yumiko, please lie down," Coyote implored her, attempting to pull her down next to him.

"OH, MY GOD!" she shrieked, jumping away from him. Unfortunately, she had been sleeping perilously close to the edge of the bed due to her unexpected bedmate. After issuing another scream, she hit the cold floor with excruciating agony being inflicted on her behind by the cold stone floor. "Ow!"

"Sweetheart, what the hell are you doing on the floor?" he asked, still half asleep as he peeked over the edge of the bed at her.

"I thought I'd perform an impromptu inspection for dust bunnies. What the hell do you think I'm doing down here? Why are you in my bed? Why am I naked? And did we...oh, my god," she grunted, jumping to her feet without even noticing the blaze of pain that shot up her back from her fall.

"Yes, we did. And you said that quite a bit during it too," he said with a self-satisfied grin.

Yumiko took the hand he held out for her and pulled her back into the bed with him. Glancing around, she now realized she was not even in her room. She was in his room, in his bed. Snuggling up next to him to ward off the chill from the early morning air and her disturbing revelation, she lay her palm flat against his chest to run her fingers through the soft hair covering it.

"So the event in the hayloft was not a dream?" she asked, allowing him to kiss her briefly to make sure this was not a dream either.

"No. It was not a dream when I made love to you under the stars, or in the hallway, or in this bed either. You're something else," he murmured, kissing her neck. "You almost wore me out."

"Almost? Coyote!" she yelped when he rubbed against her and showed he was ready to go again.

"Just one more time before our day begins," he begged, pushing apart her knees gently as he pulled her closer to him.

Before she could issue a protest, Coyote slid into her and took away her desire to refuse him. Yumiko put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close for a kiss. She held his ardent gaze as he made love to her. This time she wanted to remember every sensation, every expression on his face as a reality and not a dream. When it was over, she lay in his arms, happy and content as he stroked her hair and back.

"Coyote!" Grimmjow yelled, pounding on the door. "Get up! Yumiko is missing!"

"No, she's not!" Coyote hollered back, pulling her close and smiling down at her as she giggled.

"She's not? Then where is she?" he asked from the other side of the door.

"Where do you think, idiot?" his brother returned mockingly, giving the woman in his arms a kiss.

"Oh, you bastard! You just couldn't wait could you? You know I could have had her myself the other night," he informed his older sibling, opening the door and walking into the room.

"Is that so?" Coyote sat up in the bed, dragging the covers off of Yumiko who screeched and snatched them up to cover her body to her chin.

"Yeah," the irritated blue haired man grunted, standing beside the bed with his hands on his hips. "It's weird though. I couldn't do it because I actually...respect her."

"Well, that is a new thing for you. You've never respected a woman in your life," he muttered.

"You're one to talk you womanizing asshole," Grimmjow retorted.

"Excuse me! I'm still here!" Yumiko exclaimed, garnering the attention of both men.

"Oh, you better get to your room in a hurry. The other wives on their way up here to get you," the feral man informed her with a lecherous grin. "They said something about a day of indulgence and shopping before the ball tonight."

"Damn," she gasped, throwing back the covers and scurrying out of the room completely naked.

Grimmjow backed out of the room to watch her rush to her room a few doors down in her wonderful state of undress. Just because he was not going to have sex with her did not mean he would not look at her. To be so tall and long limbed, she was surprisingly full-bodied and curvaceous.

"I don't mind if you look, but I'll kill you if you touch her," Coyote growled, settling back down into the bed to go to sleep.

"No, you wouldn't," his brother laughed.

"You're right. Tier would get to you first." He buried his face into his pillow to hide his amused smirk. Despite his brother's excessively virile appearance and hypersexuality, if the truth were told, Grimmjow was completely under his wife's will. He was like a big, vicious dog on a chain, and Tier holds the chain. She allowed him to do whatever and whoever he wanted, but there were boundaries. Dallying with his soon to be sister by marriage would not be one of the fences she would allow him to jump.

"Bastard." Grimmjow knew it was true and hated to be reminded of the power his wife wielded over him.

\.'./

Yumiko had just finished brushing all of the hay out of her hair when there was a knock on her door. Just as Grimmjow had said, the three wives along with her sister and mother stood there waiting for her. The first indulgence they were treated to was a breakfast of strawberries and cream along with fruit filled crepes covered in whipped cream. The second extravagance they were lavished with was a bath. A Roman style bath was built into the floor in a huge room next the kitchen. Large cauldrons of water that had been heated over the kitchen fires were pulled into the room along a track built across the ceiling and dumped into the large stone cistern. Fragrant rose petals covered the surface of the steaming water to impart their lovely fragrance to women's skin as they luxuriated in the water.

Hisana and Rukia politely declined from the group bath while Shirayuki issued a snort of derision with an expression of disgust on her face before turning to exit the room without a word.

"What a bitch," Tier grumbled, disrobing to get into the water while it was still hot.

Yumiko averted her eyes from the naked woman, watching the next black cauldron as it slid into the room. She went behind the folding screen in the room to take off her clothes, carefully folding them to lay them on the small wooden stool. Walking out from behind it naked as the day she was born, she slowly entered the hot water, carefully moving down each step into the pool. She did her best to ignore the open stare from Tier as she moved to the edge across from the leering woman and felt for the concrete bench built into the side of the structure.

"I don't know why you bothered to go behind that screen to get undressed. I still got to see you naked," Tier announced, enjoying the redness that filled the dark-haired woman's face.

"Tier, leave her be," Orihime requested, splashing into the water like a child in a wading pool. "We both know you're more interested in men than women so just stop it."

"How would you know? Maybe I was just never interested in you," the blonde retorted, smiling at the carrot top who rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I was hoping it would just be us. To give us a chance to talk," the kind woman said, sitting down beside the other woman who would soon join their family.

"Our husbands have already spoken to you to find out where you stand on the present family issues," Tier announced rather than asked. Obviously she was not one to mince words - about anything. "I want to hear it for myself. Who's your enemy?"

"Tier," the orange-headed sister-in-law hissed in an uncharacteristic reprimand.

"Sosuke. I will never let him take my kingdom...or yours," she replied, holding the unwavering gaze from the woman's penetrating green eyes.

"Good," the busty blonde sighed, sinking down to her chin in the water. "We must start making plans."

"What about our husbands?" Orihime inquired, pouting with her full bottom lip poked out.

"What about them?" Tier spat back, splashing water at the overgrown child.

Orihime shrieked and splashed back, managing to send a spray over the woman sitting next to her. They were soon giggling, screaming, and throwing water, sending gallons of it over the side of the pool and onto the floor. Once the playing calmed down, all three women resembled drowned rats but were still chuckling slightly. Surveying the damage they caused, they thought it might be best they get out and dry off quickly to desert the scene of the crime. Besides, there was shopping to do for the ball they would be attending tonight.

\..''../

Yumiko held her champagne glass in her hand, swirling the last of the golden liquid in the bottom before drinking it. She was waiting for her husband-to-be to arrive and getting angrier by the moment. All the other husbands were in attendance with their wives yet she was still alone which caused her much discomfort and embarrassment. She came out of hiding from behind the thick column and was on her way to retrieve another glass of champagne when she was seized by a pair of strong hands. This type of manhandling felt familiar. Without even caring about the glass, Grimmjow flung the champagne glass against the wall so he could insert his hand in hers to take its place.

"Grimmjow," she grumbled, trying to pull away from him.

"Dance with me. You're far too beautiful to be left alone," he complimented, looking her over quickly. She really was a fantastic picture of feminine beauty in her burgundy colored gown decorated with fancy golden brocade around the edges of the skirt and down the front.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she chuckled with sincerity. He seemed to be the type prone to cheesy, overused pick up lines and considering his stunning good looks she was sure they worked.

"I do," he replied truthfully, spinning her around before catching her in a dancer's stance again.

"You're a wonderful dancer. Is your brother?" she asked, trying not to sound angry but failing.

"I don't know. I've never danced with him," he answered, smiling broadly when she threw back her head and laughed riotously causing a few raised eyebrows from the people around them. He held her close before leaning her backwards for a deep dip. When her hands moved to his waist and gripped him, pulling her body against his below they waist, he refrained from groaning in approval in response to her reflex reaction due to her fear of falling flat on the floor.

Yumiko held her breath and closed her eyes when she found herself pulled tightly to his broad muscular chest, his lips pressed against her cheek near her ear. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as his warm breath tickled her ear when he spoke.

"Don't worry. I won't drop you. I'll be there to catch you should my brother ever let you fall," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.

"What do you - " Before she could complete the question, he was ripped from her arms. Looking down at the large hand pressed against her bare chest, her eyes followed the arm clad in a white suit trimmed in fur to the face of the man who dared to touch her indecently. If it had not belonged to her errant husband-to-be, she would have slapped the man.

"Trying to seduce my wife again?" Coyote challenged, glaring at his blue haired brother.

"She's not your wife yet. I'm just keeping her company since you left her all alone," he replied, grinning devilishly at his brother. He dared the man to offer an explanation of his whereabouts. Some habits die hard - or not at all.

Coyote turned his back to his brother, taking Yumiko into his arms. He had been watching them for several minutes to see what would transpire between them. When the kiss, even though it was only a kiss on the cheek, occurred he was no longer able to wait around to see what else happened. Despite feeling like a hypocrite, he had charged across the floor, dodging guests and dancers, to reclaim her as his own.

"Where were you?" Yumiko inquired, leveling her dark gray eyes on him.

There was a storm gathering there as he looked into those gray eyes. "I had to go into the village to take care of something," he responded vaguely, pulling her body closer to his so he would not have to look into her eyes.

"I bet," she murmured, sliding one of her hands up his arm to his neck. Pulling him forward to whisper in his ear, she reminded him, "Don't forget the stipulations of our marriage agreement. If you cheat on me, you're gone. I will fight for myself before I fight for my kingdom. I can do this with or without you. How do you want it, Coyote?"

Coyote closed his eyes, pulling her tighter against him. With all of his heart, he wanted her to save her kingdom with him. To hell with the kingdom, he just wanted her.

A scream from the back of the room alerted them to a problem just before the men dressed in brown peasant clothes entered the room and spread out among the crowd. There was something terribly wrong here. They were dressed in peasants rags yet they were armed with royal swords.

Yumiko felt an arm encircle her waist just before she was pulled out of Coyote's arms. She did not struggle and warned Coyote away with a vigorous shaking of her head. Glancing around, she saw that Orihime and Tier were being taken as well. It was no surprise that Sosuke and Shirayuki were nowhere to be seen. That made her blood boil because she instantly knew who was doing this. This was quite possibly their way of finding out just what kind of women they were dealing with. It was too soon to make an actual grab for power. This was a test. She decided she would not fail this test or disappoint them. Her eyes roamed the room again, searching for her allies. Holding their gaze momentarily, she received a nod in return from each of them in turn as if they understood her unspoken communication and felt the same way. Throwing back her head, she heard the gut wrenching sound of bone breaking as her head collided with the man's nose. She fell to the floor with a grunt, attempting but failing to catch herself before her knees hit the smooth wooden floor. Biting back the pain quite literally, she drew blood from her lower lip.

"Bitch," the man growled, reaching down to grab her by the hair.

Yumiko screamed but refused to stand to her feet. Turning as best as she could and ignoring the tearing sensation as he threatened to pull her hair out of her scalp, she punched the man between the legs. She was immediately freed as he fell to his knees beside her with his hand shoved between his legs as if that would help his wounded manhood - or pride for that matter. Her upper arms were encircled by a set of brutal fingers that pinched into her flesh. Getting ready to attack another assailant, she found herself staring into a pair of sleepy looking dark blue eyes.

"Yumiko, it's me!" Coyote yelled, crushing her to his chest before she could damage him in any way.

Sosuke made a sudden and ever so precipitous appearance complete with the castle guards who rushed in to seize the intruders.

"Ah, right on time," Yumiko muttered, glaring at the man who had made himself appear to be the hero of the day.

"I apologize for the interruption of the festivities," he proclaimed, flashing the guests a winning smile. Bowing gracefully and making eye contact briefly with several people in the room, he stated, "Please continue. There is no reason for the party to stop."

Audible gasps were heard from the women in the room as he flashed another heart stealing grin, and Yumiko rolled her eyes. She felt Coyote's grip tighten on her as his suave older brother walked toward them. Her body stiffened when she was drawn into his arms and pressed against his body before Sosuke made it to them to stand beside her. She winced as if the man had inflicted bodily pain on her by simply touch her arm.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, faking concern in his eyes like a true professional pretender.

"I'm fine. I have Coyote to protect me," she said, hugging him briefly as if to make a point.

"Oh? It seemed you did a fine job of protecting yourself," he countered, quirking his eyebrow with obvious amusement.

"We'll go back to enjoying the party now as you suggested, Brother," Coyote snarled, taking her by the arm and leading her to the dance floor.

Yumiko fit her hand into his and gingerly placed her other hand on his shoulder. She refused to look at him and instead concentrated on a point just past his head that moved as they moved.

"Do you want to know why I was in the village?" he inquired, expecting her to at least glare at him briefly. Instead she concentrated on the great beyond behind him keeping a neutral expression on her face. Her face was showing neither anger nor happiness; just no emotion at all. She reminded him of her father more than ever at this moment. "Yumiko - "

"Just don't," she growled, cutting him off. "Just dance with me Coyote and forget it. I'll still be your wife."

_But I want you to love me,_ he wanted to tell her but he was sure she would not listen. He had never seen a woman shut down like this before. Why couldn't she scream at him or hit him in a hysterical fit of rage like she had before? He sighed deeply and dared to pull her closer.

"Why were you in the village?" she whispered, her lips so close to his ear to offer some semblance of privacy to the conversation. Yumiko held her breath waiting for the answer. A tickly sensation like something crawling in her belly made her feel ill. She had the awful feeling she had jumped to a wrong conclusion.

"I was buying something for you," he replied truthfully, feeling her body relax a bit.

"Oh? What?" she asked, pressing her cheek against his. _Dumbass_, she scolded herself silently. She had assumed the worst, and it was nothing even close to that.

"It's a surprise. For the wedding day," he told her, dragging his lips across her cheek as he pulled back to look at her. He ran his fingers through her hair when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, pressing her forehead against his chest to avoid having to look into his eyes.

"Oh, sweetheart," he murmured, putting his arms around her to embrace her. He could not help but smile. She did love him after all.

* * *

Thanks xfang-girlx for helping me out with proofreading! You're a wonderful help!


	9. Chapter 9

Yumiko lay wide awake with Coyote in her arms and his head comfortably cradled between her breasts. She absentmindedly brushed her fingers through his silky hair as he slept soundly and comfortably. How could he sleep so easily when tomorrow was their wedding day? The last few days had not only been stressful because of the wedding, but Sosuke's little stunt had caused an almost unbearable tension to mount between the brothers. Grimmjow was irritable and short tempered. Even Ulquiorra had become agitated showing his annoyance by sulking more than usual and avoiding contact with the family. Coyote was his characteristic nonchalant self and seemed unfazed by the whole matter. However, Yumiko knew it was actually taking a toll on him because each night his lovemaking had steadily grown more ferocious and needy. She shifted with discomfort beneath him because last night he had been particularly rambunctious and had left her a bit sore. If she weren't the jealous type, she would consider actually hand picking a mistress for him. Unfortunately sharing had never been one of her strengths and she certainly did not want to share the man who would be her husband. Sighing noisily with frustration from her insomnia, she kissed the man in her arms on the forehead before trying to extricate herself without waking him.

"What's wrong? I thought you would be exhausted and fall right to sleep," Coyote murmured, tightening his arms around her waist when she attempted to push him off gently.

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry," she apologized, wiggling a bit to give him the hint she still wanted to get up.

"I'm not letting you go so you can just stop all that moving about," he grumbled, turning his face to kiss her on the swell of her breast. His fingers slid up her bare ribs leaving a trail of bumpy, tingly flesh in their wake.

"Coyote, please, I want to take a walk. I'm thinking too much just lying here," she protested, continuing to squirm underneath him.

"I have ways to keep you busy," he stated a low voice that made her body feel warm from the inside out.

Yumiko released the breath she had been holding when his finger traced the outline of her breast then slid up her neck. Her eyes met his in the dimly lit room filled with the silvery blue light of the full moon. She closed them briefly when he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on her lips that made her want more and left her feeling bereft when he not only removed his lips from hers but his body from the bed as well.

"I want to give you your present," he explained after hearing her grunt of disappointment.

Yumiko sat up in the bed allowing the sheet to fall to her waist. She covered her mouth with her hand to hold in her chuckle of amusement when her husband-to-be nearly dropped the bundle in his arms upon seeing her naked torso bared so unexpectedly before him. Holding out her arms, she accepted the coarse brown blanket that was wrapped around her present. She quickly unfolded the wool material to find a black leather quiver with a wolf, his family crest, emblazoned on it. Pulling out one of the arrows inside, she examined the shiny tip that caught the moonlight and reflected it as she turned it to inspect it. The tip was different from the ones on her arrows. It was three-dimensional, like a tiny cone sitting on the end of the shaft. There was also a needle like projection at the tip that looked sinister.

"Poison can be applied to that tip. Watch this," he said, taking the arrow from her hand and pressing the tip against the wall.

Yumiko jumped in astonishment when the tip flared out and more of the needle like projections unfolded from underneath. She carefully accepted the arrow from him when he handed it back to her for a closer look.

"Amazing," she breathed, staring at the deadly instrument in her hand. Whoever was shot with this was going to die no matter what. If the poison did not kill them, the damage caused by the tip surely would. The tips that flared out would make the arrowhead impossible to remove from a victim.

"There's one more thing," he announced, sitting on the bed beside her. He held a bracelet in his hand that matched the plain band he wore around his wrist.

Yumiko hoped he could not see the dissatisfaction on her face. The flat circlet was a dull unattractive silver color and appeared to be made out of scrap iron without even a single gem to enhance or hide its ugliness.

"It doesn't look like much but there's a meaning behind it," he began to explain, taking her wrist between his thumb and forefinger. He laid the bracelet on her wrist drawing the ends together but not clasping it. His eyes held hers and he continued the explanation. "I know it's not beautiful because it's made of steel. It's not soft or easily damaged like gold. It won't tarnish like silver. It's stronger than any metal. This clasp," he paused, holding the strange looking ends between his fingers, "was specially designed by the blacksmith. Once it's closed it forms a lock that cannot be broken. The only way to remove it would be to cut your hand off."

Yumiko stared at him in disbelief as he hesitated, still not cinching the bracelet. That warning sounded awfully morbid and a little frightening. Her body began to shake while they stared at each other in silence. His serious expression made her nervous. This bracelet would be more binding and represent the commitment of their marriage more fully than the rings they would exchange at the ceremony. Did she really want this? Chewing her lower lip as anxious thoughts whirled inside her head, she considered all of the possible scenarios their future held. One thing she noticed in all of the images, good and bad, that flickered through her wild imagination was that Coyote remained in every single one of them. Glancing down at the somewhat dreadful clasp that would seal her life and body to him always, she considered saying no and refusing the present.

"This will make you mine forever. Do you want that?" he asked, uncertainty making him feel slightly queasy as she remained silent. He slowly released his breath, feeling the crushing weight of dismay when he saw the tears in her eyes when she returned them to his.

Yumiko reached out to smooth her fingertips along his cheek. He appeared devastated and ready to die as if she had just plunged one of her new arrows into his heart. She was unable to speak yet due to the intense emotions coursing through her and the many conflicting thoughts in her head. Her body shook as she leaned forward to kiss his lips before speaking.

"Coyote," she started, her voice raspy and thick with emotion. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Yes. I want that. More than anything."

Coyote's head snapped up in surprise, his eyes meeting hers to make sure she was not toying with his emotions. Elation filled him when she nodded her head enthusiastically while patting his hand to encourage him to seal the bracelet and their lives. He listened intently for the satisfying click that notified him the bracelet was cinched together permanently and so were they. Sitting forward, he grabbed her head and pulled her mouth to his for a ravenous kiss that made him grateful they were already naked and in the bed together. Pulling her over to straddle his lap, he held the amorous gaze of his beloved as she cautiously slipped his stiff manhood inside of her luscious body and made herself, and him, comfortable. His hands stole up her back, grasping handfuls of her smooth hair as she moved her hips in tiny circles to bring them both pleasure.

"Yumiko," he breathed, seeking her lips and finding them as she pressed her mouth to his.

The honeymoon had arrived early and all that waited to make everything perfect was to dispense with the public formality of their wedding in front of the public tomorrow. They could stop sneaking into each other's rooms at night like children and go to their new kingdom together in the East where they would become masters of their own castle, a Prince and Princess, until the monarchy was officially turned over to them.

~\..'../~

Yumiko shifted with discomfort from the bumpy carriage ride to the church. She ignored her father's glances of concern, hoping desperately that he would not ask any questions. The bracelet that signified their union was hidden under the long sleeve of her heavy, momentous wedding gown. Sometimes she hated the sheer useless extravagance of being royalty. How many millions of silkworms had given their little lives to enable the weaving of this monstrosity? The gown itself was pretty plain, but gorgeous in its simplicity. Unadorned white silk bared her shoulders and nearly her generous breasts as well but long sleeves covered her arms. The skirt was bell-shaped with a train that extended from the back that seemed to go on forever. The church must be huge or the yards of fabric flowing behind her would still be hanging out of the door even when she's standing at the altar.

"Are you nervous?" King Byakuya asked, taking her hand in his. He was nervous. Today he would be giving his baby away to a man who was close to being an enemy. It felt like he was literally throwing his daughter to the wolves to be ravaged and eaten alive.

"I'm fine," she mumbled in reply, straightening the tiara on her head that her mother had placed there. It was the same tiara her mother had worn when marrying her father and the one she wore until she received her queen's crown. The amethysts of varying shades of purple set among the diamonds reminded her of her mother and sister's eyes. She noisily blew out a shaky breath, hearing her father chuckle softly.

"You're too much like me, my darling daughter. If you're nervous, just say so," he told her, patting her hand and receiving a quivering smile in return. Leaning over, he kissed her on the cheek. It made him sigh with contentment when she squeezed his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. Although he would never tell her, it made him feel good knowing she still needed him - that she wanted his comfort and protection one last time before another man was responsible for taking care of her. Putting his arm around her bare shoulders, he held her to his side and fought back the tears.

"Daddy," she sighed, holding on to the crimson colored cloak he wore over his formal royal attire. Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to speak the next words. The first words would bring peace to him; the next ones would break his heart all over again. "Daddy, I forgive you. I'm doing this of my own free will because I want to. Don't worry about me. I won't be unhappy." She stopped speaking, sitting up to look at him. "I love him."

Byakuya held his usual tight rein on his emotions. He had to stay in complete control today or he would be an embarrassing mess. The only outward reaction to his daughter's stunning admission was a widening of his narrow eyes. He was not sure whether to be happy or sad about that news. Deep within his heart, he had been planning on excommunicating the unwanted son-in-law and declaring war on the Central Kingdom when the man cheated on his daughter leaving her humiliated and consumed with grief. As awful as that sounded, that was the future he had foreseen for his daughter with Coyote. Unexpectedly that had all changed. He hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head.

Yumiko could feel his body trembling and was not sure why. When his sniffling met her ears, she buried her face in the ruffles of his ostentatious shirt and cried. The sound of bells began to filter into the carriage from the distance to signal they were nearing the church. It was almost time to begin. There was no turning back now.

~...~

This was the longest, most pretentious ceremony ever! It had taken nearly half an hour for the dozen bridesmaids to enter the church and walk down the quarter of a mile long aisle in the middle leading to the altar of the gargantuan structure that could have housed the whole village. The priest had prepared a disturbingly bombastic and lengthy speech on the virtues of marriage, parenthood, and ruling a kingdom. Once he finally got the important part, that was when it was as if one of the rider's of the apocalypse arrived and all hell broke loose within the church. It must be Wrath, an enraged Ichigo by another name, had burst through the doors of the sanctuary on horseback. The black steed, snorting and flinging the foam from his mouth as he reared and whinnied so shrilly it made the attendees cover their ears, was nearly as frightening as his rider who spurred him on to race down the aisle to the altar.

"This can't be happening," Yumiko breathed, moving closer to Coyote to take shelter in his arms. She stared at the orange haired man whose eyes were as wild with emotion as his frantic horse. She watched in terrified disbelief as he leaned down with his arm outstretched in preparation to grab her while the horse rushed toward them at full speed. Shoving Coyote away from her to save him from the trampling hooves of the horse, she somehow managed not to scream as Ichigo's arm encircled her waist and swept her away from the altar. She was roughly flung over the horse's back, the saddle horn painfully stabbing her in the belly.

Ichigo covered the both of them with the black cloak he was wearing to protect them the broken glass of the massive stained glass window he was about to crash through. He held her tightly over his thighs as he steered his horse through the magnanimous portrait of God holding out his hand to touch man in colored glass before shattering it to bits with a deafening crash. He had come to save her from the marriage of convenience and the man who would surely ruin her life. Too bad he did not know he had suddenly become that man.

~...~

Yumiko allowed the anger to build within her as they galloped to parts unknown and stayed still only because she did not want to fall off before he finally stopped the horse. She slid from her precarious perch on the back of the horse, falling to the ground anyway with a loud 'oof' sound when she was unable to gain her footing from the yards of fabric twisted around her feet. How had the dress not wrapped around the horse's hooves and tripped him? She guessed it was because he was running so fast the dress billowed out behind them like some ridiculous banner. What a sight that must have been for the occasional farmers they passed working in their fields. Glancing around at their surroundings, she saw that they had arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned farmhouse with a dilapidated stable where he was leading the horse to tend to him. She waited until the poor creature had his cuts from the glass mended in addition to being cooled off and watered. She did not want the horse to suffer, only Ichigo. What the hell was he thinking? They had discussed this at length before she had even left the kingdom to make the journey. She had told him not to interfere, that things were over between them as if they did not already know there was no chance of them ever being together. This was not a fairytale, and they were not children. She was not a damsel in distress locked in a high tower and Coyote was not a dragon so why in the hell had Ichigo felt it necessary to save her from what he thought was certain doom?

"Before you say a word, let me explain," he said, coming toward her with his sword drawn. "Don't make me use this on you."

"You have truly lost your mind," she accused as he advanced slowly with his sword held in front of him. She gasped when he spun her around and grabbed a handful of the fabric that was now a dirty, torn, and tangled mess that lay in ghastly knots behind her.

"No, I just know how you can be when you're angry," he shot back, hacking off the destroyed gown even with the rest of the skirt.

With an expression of disgust on his face, he threw the offensive material away because of what it represented. It was her wedding dress, and she had been binding her life to another man. His angry brown eyes affixed themselves to her face, and he glared at her in silence for an extended period of time. Stabbing his sword into the ground, he casually leaned upon it as he observed her growing pink. He was not sure if it was the sun or rage giving her skin such a gorgeous pinkish hue but it suited her making her ivory skin looked flushed; just the way she always did after sex with him. Sighing loudly, he realized how much he missed that. They had spent one final night together before she left. However, he had held on to the secret hope that would not be the end of their relationship, and he would be her lover despite her having a husband. Most of the royals, her parents being one of the few exceptions, all held their undercover trysts that were not quite as hidden as they thought.

Ichigo had received the visit from that strange messenger, a little blonde girl who tried to seduce him after delivering her shocking news, stating that Yumiko had been brainwashed into thinking she loved the man she was being forced to marry. He had been informed that the King's advisor planned to kill her; that he had gotten the knight named Renji drunk and stolen the key to the trunk that held the weapons they had brought with them. They were going to cause a ruckus the night of the royal ball and kill her thereby starting the war between the kingdoms that she had been trying to prevent. It had been a relief that the eldest son who ruled the Northern kindgom had learned of the plan and stopped it. However, Ichigo felt there was so much the girl named Lilynette had not told him. Somehow he thought the eldest son learning of the plan was no accident. He stood to inherit the Central Kingdom when his father died so what was not to say that he would not use that to extend his territory and take over the rest? Also when the blonde talked about Coyote there was an unmistakable wistfulness and affection to her voice that was in direct contrast to the hatred in her voice when she said Yumiko's name. Something was not right with the whole situation and until he had answers, he was removing Yumiko from it to keep her safe.

"Go inside," he ordered her after clarifying the situation as best as he could considering he was not sure of all the details himself. "There's water to bathe and clothes waiting for you. Uryuu made you a new bow and arrows. I brought them for you as well."

"Why do I need them?" she asked, apprehension tightening the muscles at the base of her neck and across her shoulders. She instantly had a headache from tension and sweat rolled down her body from the heat. A bath sounded good even if it was a cold one.

"I'm not sure what's happening here and I want to keep you safe. Just go inside, take a bath, and rest," he told her, turning away to return to the stable.

Yumiko chewed her lower lip, resisting the urge to scream at him, to demand answers that apparently he needed to know himself. She kicked the ground in frustration, not caring that she dirtied the toe of her pristine white leather boots that had been made for her wedding. It was all destroyed now so what did the damn boots matter? Entering the house, she was happy to see that there was a fire lit with a cauldron full of water bubbling over it. The interior of the house was surprisingly clean and it appeared to be newly furnished. She warily eyed the big wooden washtub sitting beside the hearth and sighed. Oh, well, she was not at the castle anymore and at least the water would be hot. Reaching behind her, she realized with a sinking heart she would never be able to undo the myriads of tiny buttons down her back to take off her dress. Glancing around the room, she saw a knife sitting on the table and considered cutting the dress off her body. However in its present state it was still salvageable and could be reused with a few minor repairs and a good cleaning. Going to the door, she leaned out to yell for Ichigo.

"What?" he yelled, coming out of the doors of the stable while wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Oh, dammit, life is not fair," she muttered to herself upon seeing his shirtless body clad only in his black pants and boots. His tanned and defined muscles gleamed in the bright light with a fine sheen of sweat. "I need you to help me! I can't get out of this dress."

"Dammit," he groused not trying to hide his irritation.

Yumiko smiled. At least he never changed. Still grumpy as ever. Always willing to be a hero but hating the responsibility that came with it like taking care of a demanding woman. She walked back to the fireplace, grabbing the thick cloths from the mantle to swing the cauldron out over the tub. She held the edge of the heavy black pot and attempted to dump the water into the makeshift bathtub.

"Hey! Let me do that," he insisted, almost frightening her into her burning herself with the scalding water. Snatching the insulating squares of cloth from her hands, he easily turned the cauldron and filled the tub.

Yumiko turned her back to him, hearing him curse under his breath with aggravation upon seeing the small buttons. She made that awful chortling sound of amusement her father constantly chastised her for being 'unladylike.' Her father! What must he be thinking right now? He would be beside himself with absolute horror if he knew where she was at and who she was with. Her father had known she cared deeply for Ichigo, and he had been quick to tell her that their relationship was doomed to failure because he would not allow it to happen - not even over his dead body. That knowledge had not kept her from seeing her orange haired beau because her rebellious nature was just too difficult to tame by her and definitely not by her father. She gasped when she felt work roughened fingertips gliding down her bare back. His touch was so different from Coyote's but still exciting. As her body reacted like it always had to Ichigo's touch, she realized that feelings can't always be switched off so easily. Self-consciously holding the front of her dress to her body, she turned to face him. Her eyes looked into familiar deep brown ones that had softened with amorous intent and were shiny from the mounting desire they were both feeling.

"Thank you," she stated in a low voice that was almost like a desperate whisper. Her tongue suddenly felt thick and swollen within her mouth, making speaking difficult.

"You're welcome," he replied, extending his hand toward her then halting before he touched her. "I better get back to Zeus. He threw a shoe and I was putting it back on."

Yumiko nodded, watching him walk away and waiting to hear the closing door until she removed her dress. Allowing it to slide from her body, she stepped out of it and into the wooden tub. She had worn nothing under her dress in anticipation of being with her husband. Crouching down into the tub with her knees under her chin, she cried as she used her hands to scoop up the hot water and pour it over her body. The water felt great and was washing away a bit of her tension with the dust and sweat covering her body. The crying helped dispel the stress too. The door suddenly opened, catching her by surprise. She curled tighter into a ball although she was already covered by her long legs that were folded in front of her body.

"Koko, I forgot to - " Ichigo's words died away and the discomfort of the silence between them grew as he stared at her.

Yumiko fought the urge to scream at him to get out. She was not sure how to react to him. He was her lover not too long ago and knew her body almost as well as she did so there was no point in acting indignant and embarrassed. But he had ripped her away from the man she was supposed to marry, although it was to protect her. She had been marrying a man who at first she had hated and considered her enemy, but somehow had fallen madly in love with him. Confusion reigned supreme in her life at the moment, and she was not sure what to think or feel - about anything or anyone.

"I forgot to leave something for you to dry off on," he stated in a low voice, walking toward her with a large drying sheet held up to shield his face.

Yumiko was sure he was the color of the dark red fruit he was named for and hated so much. She stood up, walking into the material and allowing him to wrap it around her body. A smile curled her lips as his arms remained around her in an embrace. She raised her hand to lay it against his chest realizing it felt cool against his sun warmed skin. Just now she realized she had stayed in the water crying and thinking until it had grown cold.

"Are you all right?" Ichigo inquired, stepping back a few steps to look at her.

"No," she answered truthfully, the tears flowing again. "No, I'm not."

Ichigo feared he might be making a mistake but encircled her trembling body with his arms anyway. He could not allow her to stand there and sob helplessly without offering some kind of comforting gesture. He had to get this figured out for her sake and for his. Somehow he knew he would have to let her go, that she would be marrying the other man anyway. As her father had told him in a private meeting that Yumiko did know had taken place, their relationship was just not meant to be and he could never have her no matter how much he wanted her.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you to my beta **xfang-girlx**! As always, the help is very much appreciated.

* * *

Ichigo had not slept at all as the golden rays of the rising sun broke above the horizon and spread across the land. He watched with bleary eyed interest as the round yellow ball floated into view before closing his eyes that stung with weariness. His arms tightened around the woman he held against his chest while she slept. She had cried until she fainted from exhaustion which had given him no choice but to wrap her up in the drying sheet and bring her upstairs to the bed to sleep. Rather than leaving her alone in the bed he had stayed with her, laying without touching her until she moved to him and pressed her body to his seeking warmth and comfort. Unable to sleep, he laid awake all night with her held to his body while thinking in a fruitless attempt to figure everything out so he could insure her safety.

A new day had begun and Ichigo had no strength to face it. He turned his head and his lips brushed over her forehead. His arms relaxed their grip on her when she stirred and pushed her arm from beneath the blanket he had laid over the both of them. His deep brown eyes landed on the strange bracelet she was wearing. It was hideous without a single ornament or even an engraving. Taking her wrist between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her arm to bring the thing closer to his face to study it. It appeared to be a solid steel ring with no clasp until he saw the tiny line indicating the clasp was hidden inside the bracelet. He tried to slide apart the bracelet to get to the clasp but nothing happened. Trying again, his fingers slipped and he accidentally pinched her skin because he was pulling so hard in his attempt to open it.

"What are you doing?" Yumiko sleepily moaned, refusing to open her eyes because of the sunlight that would blind her.

"What is this..._thing_?" he questioned her with obvious distaste in his voice, holding her wrist with his fingers around it.

"It's a bracelet," she yawned, trying to pull her hand from his powerful grip.

"I can see that smart mouth," he grumbled, glaring down at her as her eyes opened into narrow slits.

"Coyote gave it to me," she answered, swallowing with some difficulty to force down the lump that wanted to form. She had no intention of telling him what it meant even if he asked.

"You would think he could afford something better. Has the royal treasury been emptied? Is that why he's marrying you? For money?" he queried, dropping her hand to retrieve the blanket as it slid down her bare her shoulder.

"Does it matter? What business is it of yours anyway?" She sat up in hopes he would let her go before he said anything else to infuriate her. Whether he was doing it intentionally or not, he was annoying her. How dare he steal her away from her wedding then proceed to question her as if she were a common criminal? Sitting up on the side of the bed with her feet on the floor, she scanned the room to find those clothes he had said were in here.

"Is it a wedding present?" He saw her back stiffen so abruptly she seemed to grow inches taller as he watched. There was no need for her to answer which she made clear she would not do as she stood up to cross the room to the chair where a pair of pants and a shirt were neatly folded and waiting for her. His eyes quickly roved over her naked body avariciously when she dropped the sheet to dress hurriedly. "Do you love him?"

Yumiko sighed heavily and stared out of the window to avoid looking at him. Why would he ask such a thing? Did he want to know the truth? Her fingers touched the bow propped against the chair where her clothes had been sitting. Picking it up, she distracted herself purposely by examining the beautiful workmanship of her friend and teacher. The limbs were a dark rich mahogany colored wood and the ends were wolves heads carved out of bone. The string made of horsehair was attached to the teeth in the wolves mouths. She smiled as she touched the extraordinarily detailed carvings. Uryuu had always been so thoughtful, caring, and patient - with her at least. The orange haired man still lying on the bed seemed to be the bane of Uryuu's existence most days yet they somehow maintained a friendship anyway. At least one of her friends supported her no matter what. Her eyes fell on the man who now stood beside her staring down at her.

"Tell me this at least," he requested, tenderly pushing her hair behind her ear so he could see both of her dark gray eyes. "Do you still love me?"

Yumiko wanted to grab one the arrows, raise her bow, and shoot him in the heart. It would hurt him less than what she was about to say. She did still love him but she was not going to admit that to him. If she told him the truth, the false hope it would create would only be cruel because it would be destroyed soon when she returned to her husband.

"I - " Before she could continue, the whinny of a horse cut her off. Looking out of the window, she saw Coyote, Grimmjow, and her Father below on horseback with all of her Father's royal guard flanking them. "Oh, god. Stay right here," she ordered Ichigo, doubting he would stay put simply because she had said so. Without bothering to find her boots, she ran down the stairs and out of the front door of the house just as they were dismounting.

Renji was the first one to her, grabbing her by the arm. "I'm sorry. There was nothing I could do. Is he still here?"

"Of course he is still here, you idiot," she snapped, snatching her arm out of his hand. "Did you know about this?"

"We thought you were in danger. I had known there was a messenger on the way to Ichigo so I did not bother to send another one," he explained in a rush to get the words out before anyone else approached them.

"Lilynette is an enemy dumbass. She hates my guts. She would kill me herself if it would not make Coyote hate her. She wants him for herself," she hissed, slapping him across the back of the head. "If anything happens to Ichigo, I'll never forgive you."

"Renji!" King Byakuya barked which reminded the knight he had forgotten to greet the princess properly.

The color of Renji's face matched his hair at this time as he bowed deeply, grunting a swift 'milady' all as one word.

"Yumiko," Coyote said in breathy voice of relief, moving past her father to gather her into his arms.

Yumiko could see the crestfallen expression on her father's face as Coyote held her and profusely covered her face in kisses. She would imagine after seeing her husband's amorous display, another man's face wore that same dejected emotion.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, holding her face between his hands and examining it carefully before his eyes drifted over her arms and the rest of her body.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she mumbled, uncomfortable with his examination as his hands moved over her body as if he were a doctor.

"Did he violate you in any way?" Grimmjow demanded, drawing his sword.

Yumiko rolled her eyes and shook her head. Of course he would be the one concerned about that. Shouting voices caught her attention. She was mortified to see Ichigo being dragged out of the house by Renji who held the infuriated, struggling man's arms behind his back. Her body was held protectively by her husband as if to shield her from the very sight of the man who had spirited her away from her own wedding.

"Kill him," Coyote ordered when Ichigo was roughly pushed to his knees by the knight who was supposed to be his friend.

"What?" she gasped, her eyes studying her husband's face. "No, please. You can't..."

"For kidnapping the Princess and committing an act of treason against your own kingdom I sentence you to death," he announced, his grayish blue eyes darkened with anger.

"No, don't!" she screamed, shoving Coyote away when one of the other knights raised his sword in preparation for a swift beheading. Running to Ichigo, she curled her body around him to prevent the knight from completing the execution.

"Yumiko!" Byakuya yelled, moving toward her at an astonishingly fast pace.

"Put the sword down!" Grimmjow commanded, raising his to the neck of the knight.

"You can't kill him!" Yumiko shrieked, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Why?" Coyote's eyes narrowed as he glared at her with suspicion. Was this the man who had deflowered her? Did she still love him?

"He was only protecting me!" she exclaimed, still covering his body with hers.

"Yumiko, dammit, stop this," her father growled taking her by the arm and trying to pull her away.

"I'm not lying, Daddy. Ichigo really was protecting me. I believe King Baraggan's advisor, Gin was trying to kill me," she explained, leaving out the part that he was most likely acting on orders from Sosuke who was not in attendance for this little fiasco. Well, really...where's a hero when you need one? Thinking quickly she begged her father, "Please tell them that Ichigo is in charge of my protection, my bodyguard of sorts. Tell them he had been left at home to keep things secure there when he got wind of the plot. Please, Daddy, please don't let them kill him."

Byakuya stared at his daughter with shock and dismay. How did she think up such a wonderfully logical lie so swiftly? What else had she lied to him about so easily? He doubted he wanted to know. Pressing his lips together in aggravation, he made his decision.

"I'll tell them to spare his life. However," he said in a stern voice, pushing his daughter aside so he could garner the attention of the man whose life she had just saved. He crouched down to be come eye to eye with the orange haired man. "You stay far away from her after this."

"I can't," Ichigo rejoined with a lopsided smile of arrogance. Just as his King opened his mouth to issue a protest, he added, "I'm her bodyguard. I have to be near her to protect her."

Byakuya closed his mouth, turning his furious gaze on his daughter. "You frighten me sometimes with your cunning. You have a barbed tongue and a deceitful mind. I almost feel sorry for your new husband," he told his daughter who bowed her head and curtsied as if thanking him for a compliment.

"I'll be a great queen someday. I'll be the savior of our kingdom to pay you back for this, Daddy," she stated in a serious tone that made a quizzical expression of confusion pass over her father's face. She knew he had no idea what she was talking about. One day, all too soon, he would understand completely.

Ichigo blew out the breath he had been holding. He was thankful she had been his protecting angel. Without her knowing, he pledged his life to her, determined to keep her safe from any threat. Raising his eyes to glower at her new husband, he swore to himself that he would protect her from anything - even her own husband if necessary.

"Yumiko, let's go," Coyote muttered in a low voice, pulling her by the hand toward his horse.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, digging in her heels to prevent him from dragging her an inch further.

"Please...please don't do this," he pleaded with her, turning his head to look at her.

Yumiko was struck speechless by the sadness and hurt in his eyes. "I-I n-need to go get something."

Sliding her hand out of his, she ran back into the house to grab the remnants of her wedding gown and her boots. She was about to run back to the door when she remembered the bow. Running up the stairs, she grabbed the bow from its place by the chair and wrapped her wedding gown around it. It was a present from one of her best friends. Sighing deeply she recalled her other best friend had crashed her wedding and nearly lost his head. Somehow that had gained him a permanent place in her life. But she had to save him. She could not let him die especially not right in front of her eyes. He had always been there to make her feel better, to protect her, to guide her...to love her. Swallowing hard, she held the dress against her chest with bow hidden safely inside.

"YUMIKO! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" Grimmjow bellowed so loudly she would have sworn it shook the house.

"Ugh, god," she mumbled, closing her eyes momentarily to quash the urge to yell curse words out the window at him. "I can't believe what I've gotten myself into."

What was supposed to be a marriage of convenience was turning out to be VERY inconvenient. Several unexpected complications had been brought into her life. She never imagined she would fall in love with the man she should hate, she had no idea he would have such a fabulously enticing brother, and she never NEVER dreamed Ichigo would become her personal bodyguard.

"Oh, dear Lord, please help me..."

~\..'../~

The ride back from the rundown farmhouse had been long, tiring, and extremely uncomfortable since they were not running at breakneck speed. The fact that she had been clamped firmly between her husband's thighs and arms while treated to a stony silence did not help either. Yumiko was nearly sick with dread and anxiety from the slow, plodding ride and Coyote's refusal to talk to her. Her first desire was to find the laundress and seamstress to tend to her dress so they could salvage what was left of it. Then she planned to treat herself to another hot bath before going to bed. The priest would be coming tomorrow to complete the ceremony in the formal dining hall with only the family members in attendance.

Yumiko waited as patiently as she could for Coyote to dismount. She refused to make eye contact with him as he stared up at her with his arms outstretched to help her down from the horse. As soon as he was distracted with tending to the horse, she turned away and took a step toward the castle.

"Is that him?" Coyote asked, grabbing her by the shoulder and spinning her around to face him before she could run away from him.

"What?" she inquired, tired and not in the mood for a game of twenty questions.

"Is he the one?" he questioned her, his eyes narrowing to mere slits of anger.

"The one _what_?" She glared back at him so hotly he could feel the skin burning on his face.

_Now she's just trying to piss me off, _Coyote thought to himself. _And it's working._ His mouth dropped open when she abruptly turned on her heel and proceeded to walk away from him.

"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you, dammit! Answer the question!" he commanded her, closing the distance between them easily to seize her by the shoulders and turn her back around.

"Yes, he's the one!" she yelled, ignoring the curious stares of the men standing a few yards away from them including her father and Ichigo. "He's the one who took my virginity. He's the one who made me scream his name. And he's the one I loved first."

Coyote's temper flared and he raised his hand. He was able to stop himself before he slapped her when she winced and shied away from him.

Ichigo boldly grabbed King Byakuya by the arm when he lurched forward to grab the man threatening to strike his daughter. He had full faith in her that she could deal with the situation without it ever coming to physical violence using her sometimes frightening way with words. "Wait," he entreated the man, releasing him when a murderous set of gray eyes turned to look at him. "She can handle him."

Yumiko glared at Coyote, her bottom lip quivering imperceptibly with anger before she spoke. "Do it goddamn you if it will make you feel better. If you think it will make you a man and make me respect you, just fucking do it," she brazenly invited him, raising her chin in defiance to look down her nose at him with a miss high-and-mighty attitude.

Coyote was not sure which was more shocking: her saucy mouth and filthy words or her willingness to defy him so blatantly without being concerned over the consequences. He suddenly felt sorry for her father. For over two decades that poor man had been dealing with this woman - a demon hidden behind a beautiful face. And now she was his. Dammit. A smile of sadistic satisfaction curled his lips when his hand shot forward, and she visibly flinched in fear under the assumption he was actually going to strike her. Had she already forgotten about the conditions imposed upon him? Grabbing a handful of her hair, he pulled her forward to punish her lips with a forceful, bruising kiss.

"You are such a bitch," he snarled against her lips, holding her body tightly to his while he abused her lips some more. Pulling her back by her hair, he glared down at her with hate and love in his eyes all at once. "He is your past, and I am your future. I love you, damn you and I will never, never let you go."

"Is that a threat?" she challenged, trying to pull her hair out of his hand but stopping when he only pulled harder and made her think she was going to be snatched bald.

"No, my love," he murmured, giving her a sweet gentle kiss on her red swollen lips. "That's a promise."

"So you think he could possibly be a shrew tamer?" Ichigo inquired as they watched her walk away submissively with Coyote's hand resting lightly against the small of her back.

"I think it's a damn miracle is what I think," King Byakuya returned making the other man blink in astonishment from the frankness of the admission.

In that moment, both men realized a disturbing truth. Although it pained their hearts greatly for entirely different reasons, they had no choice but to admit that Yumiko had finally found the man she needed.


	11. Chapter 11

Insert shout out to beta here: THANKS, xfang-girlx! :D

* * *

Awkward could not even begin to describe Yumiko's present situation. Weird, uncomfortable, and just plain wrong would be a beginning but that would not totally capture it either. She slid a sidelong glance to her orange haired escort who was about to walk her to her husband who waited beside the priest in the dining hall, their new makeshift wedding chapel. Never before had her father displayed his penchant for sadism and excessive cruelty until now. It had been his idea for Ichigo to give her away this time. Obviously this was King Byakuya's way of getting back at the man, and her for that matter, for what he had been through yesterday. _Dammit, Daddy, _she thought to herself, gripping her bouquet so tightly her joints ached.

Ichigo did not mind actually. He had come to terms with the fact she would never be his after she had saved his life. That realization was vital to keep from making both of their lives miserable. Although he loved her still and always would, he had vowed to himself to move on and not be one of those tragic creatures who pine for someone for the rest of their lives to die lonely, miserable and just plain pathetic. Until then, he would give his life if necessary to protect her. Turning to her, he looked her over before sliding his palm along her jaw and cupping her cheek.

"You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," he complimented her.

Yumiko doubted he had seen more than one bride in his life, but she accepted the compliment with a smile. Her 'new' wedding dress suited her style so much better than the first dress. The front part of the skirt had been cut away and made into a pair of pants while the rest of the skirt had been left in tact across the back. The top had been fashioned into a corset type, lace up top but without the lung squeezing power of a real corset. The sleeves had been removed and changed into a pair of fingerless gloves that reached her elbows. Her escort was dressed in the uniform of her father's royal guard consisting of brown leather pants, a black shirt covered by a short crimson cape that attached at the shoulders. The royal seal along with his rank of general decorated the dark gray sash across his chest. He had never looked more handsome.

"You're quite fetching indeed. If I were the kind of man to breach a promise, I would do so right now to have you," he said, his brown eyes holding her gray ones.

But he wouldn't. If there was one thing that never wavered about Ichigo, it was his honor. He was truthful, loyal, and honest. He had promised her father that he would not lay a hand on her since she was going to be another man's wife.

Yumiko closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. She was more on edge this time than she had been for the church ceremony. When she felt the soft pressure of Ichigo's lips against hers, her eyes flew open in surprise but she did not pull away from him. Instead, she leaned into the kiss, resting one hand on his hip. This reminded her of the kiss he had given her after he made love to her for the last time before she had come here.

"Be happy. And be the amazing woman I know you are," he whispered, his lips still close to hers.

The doors opened just as they separated. Yumiko did not see anyone but her husband. He was dressed in a uniform just like Ichigo's except it was all white with decorations and accents in the same grayish blue color of his eyes. She shivered without meaning to because he looked so handsome. After receiving his smile, her heart sped up and the warmth of a blush spread across her face. She hoped he had this much of an effect on her for the rest of her life. If he kept doing the things to her like he had last night, he definitely would stir this kind of physical reaction within her.

"Walk, Koko," Ichigo prompted her in a whisper, tugging her arm that was locked around his.

Yumiko took a step, then another, her eyes never wavering from Coyote. Today she would officially become his wife, and she could not be happier.

~\..'../~

* * *

Yes, she could be happier. Yumiko was positively elated that today was the day they were leaving King Barragan's castle to go back to their kingdom in the East. She waited patiently by the carriage that had been given to them as a wedding present from Coyote's father while all of their belongings were loaded onto the horse pulled cart that would be following them. This was going to be quite a caravan headed east including the royal carriages containing her parents and sister along with the dozens of escorts of knights, soldiers, and King Byakuya's royal guard, the general of which would be staying right close to Yumiko.

"You're leaving me," a deep, somewhat sad voice spoke behind her making her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Oh, like you really care?" she muttered hatefully, keeping her back to the horny blue hair who seemed to appear at the most inconvenient times. Today was no exception. She had been hoping to avoid him. Despite all of his unwelcome advances, most of which seemed to be half-hearted and only to elicit an adverse reaction from her for his amusement, she liked him. She would miss him and his wife as well as Orihime. Ulquiorra not so much but she felt sure that she still had a firm ally in him, albeit one of necessity for a common cause, but an ally nonetheless.

"I do," he said, edging closer to her despite the many people moving all around them.

"Sometimes I can't tell if you're fearless or just plain stupid," she stated in a low voice as he pulled her into his arms.

"Sometimes I'm not sure either. Besides, we'll give them something to talk about the whole way home," he joked, using his fingers to tip her chin up.

Yumiko grasped his shirt by handfuls, not caring if she wrinkled the soft blue cotton. The kiss was surprisingly chaste and brief; almost disappointing since she had prepared herself to be ravished in front of an audience. She held her breath as his lips moved close to her ear.

"Tier and I will contact you as often as possible. Be mindful of the condition of my father's health. We all know as soon as it begins to deteriorate, Sosuke will start preparing. If you should get a letter that Father is dead, we all should be ready for the attack that will be coming," he warned her, kissing her on the cheek to cover the fact he was whispering in her ear.

Yumiko nodded, bowing slightly as he turned to walk away from her. Her heart sank as the cold fear crept over her body. Before she could become too despondent, her husband arrived with an armful of bright yellow daffodils just for her. She smiled at him, leaning through the huge bouquet to kiss him on the lips.

"For my new wife," he announced, transferring the bouquet to her arms. He knew they would be pitiful and dead within a few hours but he had brought them to her anyway. Seeing the joyous expression that lit up her face which had looked so sad moments before had been completely worth it. The gorgeous sunny flowers had not given their little lives in vain.

~...~

Yumiko awoke as the carriage slid to a stop. Something was wrong. She immediately grabbed her bow and quiver which she had kept close to her in the carriage. Her body tightened as she heard yelling from somewhere near the front of the caravan.

"What are you doing?" Coyote demanded as she poked her head out of the carriage.

Without answering, she slid her whole body out of the carriage window, sitting on the edge while grasping the metal luggage bars across the top. Hoisting herself upward, she laid down on the top of the carriage to see what was going on.

"Yumiko!" Ichigo hissed down below, his sword drawn. "Get back in the carriage."

"No. I want to see what's going on," she growled back, her eyes scanning the horizon ahead of her.

It was difficult to see in the waning light of twilight and the dust the stamping horses had stirred up. Slapping the top of the carriage in frustration, she stood up and jumped to the back of the cart in front of her. She surmised it must be bandits intending to rob them and the soldiers' horses were kicking up too much of a dust cloud fending them off for her to see anything.

"Yumiko!" Ichigo and Coyote yelled in unison as they watched her travel forward, jumping from one mode of transportation to the next including horses.

Yumiko dropped down on the back of the horse holding the footman who had escorted her and her father here. She smiled at him when he turned his shock widened dark brown eyes on her.

"Well, come on, Keigo," she urged, kicking the horse in the flanks. She held on to the man's waist as the horse took off at a full run. Once she gained her balance and became comfortable with the horse's fast gait, she let the rider go and prepared to load her bow with one of the arrows Coyote had given her.

This band of marauders had no idea what they had just gotten themselves into. Squinting her eyes, Yumiko was able to discern one of the criminals through the low light and shifting dust cloud. Talking a deep breath, she pulled and released, keeping an eye on the arrow until it reached its target. With a smile of satisfaction, she watched the man scream in pain and drop to the ground to writhe in agony from the arrow that was now lodged in his right shoulder.

"Over there!" she heard a man bellow just before an arrow flew her way.

Yumiko shoved Keigo forward, pushing him into the horse's neck so he would avoid being struck by the arrow. She was not so lucky, however, just before the arrow embedded itself in the bicep of her left arm with an excruciating tearing sensation, she saw Ichigo leap from his horse and take down the archer who had shot her. Her body weakened and she was unable to stop herself from rolling off the back of the horse as momentum from the strike pushed her backwards. Preparing herself for what would be a painful landing on the ground, she curled into a ball before her meeting with the earth and rolled to a stop. This prevented any broken bones and somewhat lessened the punishment from gravity but only by the slightest amount. Gritting her teeth, she seized the shaft of the arrow and pulled. Her vision blurred from the physical torment inflicted by the removal of the arrow. Bringing it close to her face, she was relieved to see it was a typical arrowhead. Thankfully the bandits were civilized enough to keep their arrows sharpened so it had entered and exited with surgical precision. Panting from the agony, she was paralyzed by the shock and pain that kept her lying still on the ground.

"You idiot! Are you insane?!" Coyote bellowed, dropping to his knees beside her. He did not care if the grass stained his white pants or if the dirt sullied his clothing. His eyes fell on the bloody mess that covered the arm of her white shirt as she lay pale and breathless but conscious while gazing at him with sympathetic eyes. How could she be worried about him at a time like this? He gathered her up into his arms to take her back to their carriage.

"Is she all right?" Ichigo yelled, riding up on his horse. Blood streaked his face but was hidden on his black shirt. His shiny silver gauntlets that protected his hands and forearms were also spattered with blood. Apparently he had smashed a few noses while dealing with the thieves.

"I-I'm n-not s-sure," he stammered. He was feeling something strange, something he had never felt before in his life. Looking down at his wife who had succumbed to the pain and fainted, he realized he was afraid. He was afraid of losing her. Remembering that she had told him Ichigo was a doctor's son, he glanced up at the man sitting on the huge black steed. "You have to do something to save her."

"Give her to me," Ichigo ordered the man gently who appeared pale and sick. Reaching down, he carefully slid his arm under her shoulders while her husband pushed her upwards to assist with getting her onto the horse. He understood the man's fear that something horrible might happen to Yumiko. He felt it as well. Positioning her against his chest, he prepared to ride ahead to the next village. With any luck, he would be able to find basic medical supplies to treat the wound. "I'll take care of her. It's my job after all."

If Coyote had not been numb with fear and shock, he would have argued with the man who is was his job to take care of her because he was her husband. There was no time for petty quibbling. He watched as the man rode off with his wife. Staring up at the darkened sky, he saw the first twinkling star of the night. Not caring that it was childish and ridiculous, he wished upon that star that his wife would be all right.

~...~

Ichigo squeezed a few drops of water between her parched lips before he wiped the cool wet cloth over her face. He had done his best to clean and dress the wound. Thankfully the village doctor had supplies that he had willingly allowed Ichigo to use to patch her up. Once the doctor had learned the identity of the injured woman there had been no question of whether or not he would help the people he did not recognize but were definitely not strangers. Ichigo had made full use of the small yet surprisingly well equipped office. The man had even assisted him by stitching up the deep wound.

"She will be my queen someday. If she should ever need my assistance for any reason, she will surely have it," the man told him before leaving him with the water and cloth to help bring down her raging fever.

Ichigo did not worry too much because he knew this was her body's way of fighting off the infection. Allowing a soft smile to touch his lips, he remembered the first time he had ever seen her. They were both small children at the time but he was fascinated by her. She was the first girl he had ever met who was not 'yucky' to him. She had been running a fever brought on by pneumonia. His father had suggested he crawl into bed with her, holding her shaking body against his to ward off the chill despite the fact she burning hot. Her body shuddered under his hand, bringing his attention back to the present. He stood up beside the bed, taking off his shirt. Pulling back the blanket, he lay down next her body that was naked from the waist up. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pressed his chest against her breasts as he held her body to his. Biting his lower lip until he drew blood to stop the thoughts stampeding through his brain, he reminded himself he was doing this to save her, to keep her warm until her fever broke. Exhaustion from the day of travel that was only made worse by the stress he had experienced in the last few hours enabled him to fall quickly into a deep sleep.

~...~

Yumiko awoke with a start, awakened by a disturbing nightmare. She had dreamed that she had been shot with an arrow. Her distress was furthered when she awoke once again in the arms of Ichigo. What happened? Where was she? Moving her arm brought a stinging pain and the immediate realization that she had not been dreaming; only reliving something that had actually happened. Poking the sleeping man beside her in the chest, she glanced around in search of her shirt. Seeing it on the floor, she moved from the bed to pick it up. A sigh of disappointment gushed out of her when she saw it was a torn bloody mess.

"There's a clean one on the chair beside you," Ichigo informed her sleepily, opening his mouth into a wide gaping yawn. "You need to cover those things before I give in to my manly urges and do something less than becoming of an officer in my trusted position."

Yumiko turned her back to him to hide her bare breasts and her blush of ruby red. She jerked the loose white shirt over head, wincing from the searing sensation that coursed through her arm causing her fingers to tingle.

"How does it feel?" he questioned her, pulling his shirt back on. They needed to return to the others since she was better and literally back on her feet.

"It hurts but not much," she answered, grabbing her boots. "How long has it been?"

"Not too long. It happened just after sunset yesterday and it's almost dawn. We should catch up with everyone easily since we'll be riding Zeus," he said, unable to stop himself from her watching her behind wiggle in the tight black leather pants as she struggled to get her boots on. He made a promise not to touch her, but he never swore not to look. Besides, his thoughts and fantasies were his own, and they could never take those away from him.

"Princess?" a voice called.

Yumiko stared at the white haired man who entered the room. He was not an old man considering his youthful unlined face but his long snow white hair was a startling contrast in comparison to his dark eyebrows. She returned his kind smile as he walked toward her. Her hand shook as she reached out to accept the glass bottle he held out to her. Her eyes moved to Ichigo and he gave her an inquiring look with a raised eyebrow. She had not wanted him to see she was in more pain than she was telling him. The small bottle contained a green powder that she studied briefly before giving the doctor a questioning expression.

"It's herbs to help with the pain. Just mix the powder with a little water and drink it," he explained to her.

"Can I have some of them now?" she asked, her voice raspy and slightly weak.

"Of course, your highness," he said, taking the bottle back to ready the mixture for her.

"You better tell me when you're hurting. Now is not the time to be prideful," Ichigo admonished her gently while the doctor stirred the medicine.

Yumiko gratefully took the simple wooden cup from his hands. She was able to ignore the bitter taste of the herbs since it was going to dull the pulsating discomfort that ebbed and flowed, radiating up and down her whole arm. Handing back the cup, she curtsied politely while offering her sincerest gratitude.

"I will remember you, Princess. Just remember me," he said, bowing deeply to her.

"How could I ever forget you? You helped save my life. Thank you," she told him, accepting the small glass jar of herbs he held out to her once more.

"Princess, we need to go. Your parents will be worried," Ichigo reminded her.

"Yes of course." She bowed to the man and followed Ichigo out of the door. Her parents would not be the only ones beside themselves with worry.

~...~

"Yumi!" Coyote yelled, kicking his horse in the sides to spur him forward. He had forsaken the carriage due to feeling closed in and restricted and had chosen to ride his horse at the front of the slow moving royal convoy instead. The random thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for hours dissipated upon seeing her sitting up on the horse held tightly in the arms of the orange haired man. All night long, his imagination had conjured images ranging from the horrifying sight of her dead body to the equally disturbing thought of that man making love to her. He knew he was being an idiot but the thoughts had come nonetheless. Sliding from his horse, he rushed forward to enclose his wife in his arms. He loosened his grip when she grunted from pain due to his tight embrace.

"I'm fine. It hurts but I'll be fine. I had two great men taking care of me. We will have to send a special gift to the doctor of that village," she said, kissing him on the lips briefly.

"Anything you want, my love," he rejoined, pressing his lips to hers for a longer, more ardent kiss. He hugged her again, his eyes moving to man on the black horse. Releasing his wife, he moved to Ichigo who had averted his eyes to stare blindly at the horizon. Reaching upward with his outstretched hand, he offered a handshake of friendship and thankfulness. "You deserve my gratitude as well."

"I'm only protecting what I love," Ichigo brazenly answered, his brown eyes narrowing as he shook Coyote's hand.

"I understand." He really did.

In that moment, the two men formed a silent truce. Ichigo would not vie for her affections, and Coyote would not be jealous and suspicious. They would both fight instead for the common goal of keeping her safe. They both knew this agreement would be necessary to preserve them all when the inevitable future occurred. With the coming onslaught of enemies from without, they did not need to form enemies within their own ranks.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you xfang-girlx for betaing this chapter for me! You are an incredible person. :D

* * *

Byakuya looked down at his daughter who leaned heavily against him in sleep. He raised his hand to touch her forehead which was hot and sweaty. His brow furrowed in worry before he could hide it from his wife who sat on the seat across from him in the carriage. Glancing out of the window to avoid the questioning gaze from her penetrating violet eyes, he saw they were close to arriving home. He moved forward a bit to look around to find Ichigo. For a moment he was almost happy to see the man riding beside the carriage. He would never admit it to himself and certainly not to Yumiko that he was glad Ichigo had been there to tend to her injuries. As far as he was concerned, it was the least the man could do to repay his daughter for saving his neck, quite literally.

"Is she running a fever again?" Hisana asked, drawing his attention back to her.

"Yes," he replied briefly pressing his lips to her forehead. "I will send for Isshin as soon as we reach the castle."

"Dear, Ichigo did a fine job tending to her. He can check her wounds as soon as we arrive home. There's no need to make her wait," his wife argued in her usual gentle manner.

"But he's not a doctor," he responded a bit harshly, glaring out of the window at the orange haired man riding the big black horse.

"Oh, you stubborn, stupid man," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She loved him dearly but sometimes his hardheadedness wore on her last nerve. Her daughter possessed that same irritating determination which had made Yumiko and her father disagree on innumerable occasions. Looking at them sitting side by side, she had to smile at how closely they resembled each other. Too bad they were too much alike to even see it. Sighing heavily, she kept any further opinions to herself. She would make sure Ichigo took care of Yumiko once they arrived.

...

Uryuu sat on top of the high wall waiting for the royal carriages to arrive. He ignored the guards who glared at him and shook their heads as they walked by occasionally while on their rounds. As captain of the archers he should be doing more besides sitting around doing nothing while watching for the Princess like a lovesick fool. Since he was a high ranking commander, they could not say anything to him despite the fact he was not their superior. With a wry smile on his face, he also realized they envied him and his subordinates because they were held in higher regard than the guards. Only the knights outranked them on the social scale within the castle walls. His deep blue eyes narrowed then opened wide when he saw the maroon and gold pennants bearing the royal crest flying above the top of the carriage creaking along the road in the distance.

"They're here," he breathed, standing up on the wall with his cross-bow clutched tightly in his hand. Drawing in a deep breath, he yelled, "They're here!"

The guards froze in their tracks, staring at him briefly as if they did not comprehend his words before bursting into a flurry of activity to assume their positions of attention along the wall. Trumpets began to blow, heralding the arrival of the royal family, including the new son-in-law.

...

Yumiko awoke with a start whent he high pitched horn blasts met her ears. She had been dreaming. Actually, she had been having a nightmare. Her body shook upon recalling the image of Sosuke hovering over the body of King Baraggan with a dagger that dripped blood onto the floor. She shuddered violently when the image of the self-satisfied evil smirk on his face reformed in her mind. He looked so pleased with himself for killing his own father it made her physically ill. Wiping the back of her hand over her sweat slicked forehead, she grabbed her stomach when it threatened to rebel against her.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" her father inquired, holding her by the shoulders when she pressed her hand to her mouth.

"I had the most horrible dream. Oh, god, this carriage ride is making me sick," she moaned, as the whole carriage rocked from side to side.

"We're almost home, dear," her mother assured her, leaning forward to pat her on the knee.

"You're not pregnant already are you?" Rukia interjected with a surprising amount of venom in her voice.

"Even if I was, I wouldn't be having morning sickness this soon _stupid," _she snapped back at her sister who stuck out her tongue at her. She lurched forward to grab Rukia but her father pulled her back down into the seat.

"Girls, girls!" their mother exclaimed, raising her voice slightly but adding the no-nonsense sharp edge only a mother can have.

Byakuya released a noisy sigh of frustration mixed with relief. Apparently she had not been running a fever at all. The rise in temperature was only from a disturbing dream she had been having. It was good to see she was her usual catty self when she verbally attacked her sister with such gusto.

Yumiko searched for an escape route. Leaning out of the carriage, she saw her husband riding on the right side on his snow white mare that he had brought along for the journey.

"Hello, darling," Coyote called to her, returning her big grin.

"Want some company?" she asked, already climbing out of the window.

"What are you doing?" he yelled in unison with her father.

Byakuya attempted to seize his daredevil daughter by the collar but it was too late. Thankfully Coyote had already brought his horse up close enough to the carriage all he had to do was hook his arm around her waist to pull her over into his lap.

"Are you crazy?" he queried despite knowing the answer.

"She's your problem now, Son," Byakuya informed the man sitting on the horse with his daughter sitting side-saddle in front of him.

"Thanks, _Dad_," he returned, terribly amused when the King's slight smile transformed instantly into a deep scowl.

"Oh, Bya," Hisana murmured with a tender scolding tone.

"What?" he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest while giving in to a pout.

"Have you forgotten what you were like when you were young?" She continued when he stared out of the window as if he were trying to ignore her. She could tell he had not forgotten that he had been a bit wild and untamed himself in his youth which would probably account for why he was such a stick in the mud at the present.

"What was he like when he was young?" Rukia questioned her mother with obvious curiosity raising her voice an octave.

"Don't," the King spoke gruffly to silence his lovely wife, raising a finger to his lips. "Remember, if you tell her things I did, I'll also have to tell her what you did as well."

"Well?" their daughter pressed, her huge light purple eyes moving from one to the other hoping for a bit of information.

"Never mind, daughter," her mother responded haughtily, raising her chin to maintain her queenly dignity.

"Oh, you two are no fun at all," she groused, glaring out of the window at her sister who was kissing her new husband as they rode. "Shameless. Absolutely shameless."

"Speaking of shame, Rukia," her father began, watching his younger daughter's dark eyebrow raise inquiringly. "How's that fellow...what's his name? Renji? You know the one we told you not to see anymore?"

Rukia's mouth dropped open in shock. How did they know about that?

...

Yumiko saw her best friend and archery instructor waiting in the courtyard for her. She smiled when she noticed he was wearing his formal white archer's uniform that was in pristine condition and very clean as usual. It was a mystery to her how he could wear that pure white uniform all day and never get a speck of dirt on it. Wiggling from her husband's arms, she slid from the horse to the ground. She ran to her friend at full speed, hitting him with enough force he had no choice but to grab her and spin around to keep from falling.

"Miss me?" She held his face between her hands giving him a kiss right on the lips.

Ichigo rode up next the perplexed husband who was watching his wife kiss another man with affection. Somehow he thought the whole situation was terribly funny. He knew Yumiko meant nothing by it because her and Uryuu's relationship had always been like that. As a matter of fact, he had been quite shocked himself to learn it was Uryuu who had taught her how to kiss as well as shoot an arrow. Never before would he have guessed that the bespectacled archer was such a Casanova. Only after he had started a serious relationship with her did he learn the man had a deep yet unrequited love for her. Catching a glimpse of the stunned man sitting on the horse next to his, he realized he now knew exactly how Uryuu felt. Unfortunately, he had been warned of the danger of falling in love with her but he had done it anyway so he had no one to blame but himself.

"Don't worry. They're only friends," he told Coyote when the man's face began to redden with jealous rage. He did not feel like having to shield Uryuu from the wrath of an angry husband, although he was sure the archer could hold his own.

"Just like she was only friends with you?" the skeptical husband asked, turning to look at the man beside him.

"No," he replied with a smirk. "They were never that kind of _friends_."

Ichigo spurred his horse and trotted toward the stable. A grin spread across his face when he looked back to see the man still glaring at the two people who were chatting while she checked out the cross-bow in her hands. _That poor man has no idea what he has gotten himself into with that woman_, he thought to himself.

~\..'../~

Ichigo watched Yumiko's face for signs of pain as he carefully unwrapped the wound. Blood appeared on the bandage when he was only half way through unwinding the cloth. He heard her sudden intake of breath when he tugged on the last remaining part that had adhered itself to the wound. Ladling out a bit of the hot water from the cauldron over the fire, he mixed it with cold water to pour over the wound to loosen the cloth and wash off the excess blood. Studying the wound carefully he spied the presence of a bit of necrotic tissue in the middle that would have to be removed.

"Yumiko, I'm going to mix up some of the pain relief herbs for you. Take them. You're going to need it," he advised her, turning to stir up the concoction in a cup for her.

Yumiko looked down at her arm to see what he had been looking at. There was a bit of blackened muscle in the middle where the arrow had entered her arm. "Will I lose my arm?"

"No. Not if I cut that out," he answered plainly, not bothering to honey coat the words for her.

Yumiko sighed and took the cup he handed her, willingly braving the awful taste to numb herself for what was surely going to hurt like hell. She lay back on the table in the servant's dining room that was being used as his makeshift operating table.

"How's the patient?" Isshin inquired, entering the room as Ichigo shoved the knife into the glowing embers of the fire to sterilize it.

"I'm fine," she answered, holding out her hand for the man who had been responsible for helping bring her into this world safely and keeping her healthy once she got here. She smiled at him as he brought her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

"Good to see you, Princess. How's married life?" he asked, stealing a glance at his son who visibly winced at the question.

"I haven't been married long enough to tell. Ask me again in a year," she replied, smiling at the scruffy, dark-haired older man who was still incredibly handsome in his advanced years. She wondered if Ichigo would look like him when he was older. Despite losing his wife who had been the love of his life, the good doctor still managed to smile a lot and had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She had often wondered how the serious and often grumpy Ichigo could be the son of such a light-hearted, happy man.

"Koko, I'm about to start," Ichigo cautioned her, dipping the knife into the water to cool it down.

Yumiko jumped upon hearing the hissing sound made when the hot knife touched the cool water. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she waited for the pain. A large warm hand held hers, pushing his fingers into her palm.

"Squeeze if you need to so you can bear the pain," Isshin told her, watching his son as he prepared to cut the flesh. He could not be more proud of Ichigo than he was in this moment. If something like this had happened to his beloved Misaki, he would not have been able to operate on her, even if it had meant saving her life. Closing his eyes briefly as the stab of sadness skewered his heart, he remembered how there had been nothing anyone could do to save her.

Ichigo cautiously cut away the crude stitches before he took a deep breath and pushed the knife into the wound, slicing at the dead and useless muscle to extract it from the healthy surrounding tissue. Nausea plagued him when he heard her whimper in pain from the prodding of the knife into the sensitive muscle to check for any more excessively damaged tissue that might need to be removed. She would have an ugly scar to show for this but it would be worth it to keep her from losing her arm.

"Just a little more, baby, hold on," he urged her when she cried out after he dug deeper into the tissue.

Yumiko was sure she was squeezing Isshin's hand so tightly she would break it. However, the man never complained or made a sound hinting at any discomfort. She opened her eyes to watch her doctor as he concentrated on his work. His orange eyebrows were drawn together into one long unibrow while his dark brown eyes were narrowed as he zeroed in on any offending flesh that needed to be removed. A bolt of pain raced up her arm and slammed into her brain with such speed and force it made her dizzy. Everything became fuzzy then the darkness began to encroach upon her vision from the side.

Ichigo stopped when her head flopped lifelessly to the side and her body went limp. His eyes opened wide with fright and turned to his father in a silent plea for an explanation.

"She's all right. She fainted from the pain. It's the most merciful thing that could happen. Hurry up, Son before she wakes back up," he gently encouraged his nervous son who was still learning to be a doctor. It had been a thrilling day when his son had told him he intended to become a doctor in addition to being a soldier. He had thought the boy had totally turned his back on the prospect of continuing the family tradition. Seeing Ichigo's tanned face suddenly turn a sickly white, he said, "Keep going. You're doing fine."

"This is so hard, Dad," he murmured, his lower lip quivering with the effort to restrain his emotions and finish the surgery.

"I know. It may not seem like much comfort, but you are practicing on the most difficult patient of all...someone you love," his father said, meeting his stunned gaze. "I'm not as stupid as you think, Son. Finish the operation."

~...~

Coyote walked into the room lit only by the dying fire in the stone cooking pit beneath the cauldron. He saw the unlikely surgeon slumped in the corner and was not sure if he was asleep or just resting. Advancing a bit closer, he stopped when the man's eyes opened and met his immediately with a determined and completely on guard gaze. He had forgotten Ichigo was a soldier first.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo demanded, reaching to his side for his short sword. He did not appreciate the man trying to sneak up on him. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally after performing the surgery on Yumiko, and he was in no mood to fight but he would if necessary.

"Stand down, soldier. I'm not here to fight you," Coyote said, raising his hands in a surrender gesture. "I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my wife."

_You don't have to rub it in every chance you get, you bastard, _Ichigo grumbled in his mind. He did not think the jab was intentional, but it still annoyed him. Resheathing his shortsword, he reclined against the wall again yet remained on alert. He still did not trust this man.

"You've thanked me. You can leave now. She's resting comfortably in your room. I suggest that she stays in bed tomorrow to rest as well," Ichigo added knowing that order would be nearly impossible for Yumiko to follow.

Coyote glowered hatefully at the insolent man sitting on the stool. His eyes roved the shirt stained with Yumiko's blood. The startling reminder of her condition and how this man was the one who was taking care of her helped him rein in his temper and hold his peace. "Thank you nonetheless," he said, turning to leave. With a malevolent smirk tilting his lips, he turned back to tell the man, "I'll do my best to find some way to keep her in bed."

Ichigo cursed under his breath. He swore to himself that if the opportunity ever presented itself by some God-given miracle, he would kill that man. Until then, he would withhold and bear it but only for Yumiko's sake.

~\..'../~

Yumiko looked down at the man in her arms. She brushed her fingers through his wavy brown hair before burying her nose into it. His scent of soap and pine filled her nose causing her to sigh. Her body tingled as she recalled their bath together earlier that evening. It was fun to be dirty while getting clean. Her lips brushed his forehead and his arms tightened around her waist as he snuggled deeper into her breasts that had become his pillow at some time during the night. She smiled with contentment but grunted from the throbbing pain in her arm from where the tissue had been removed yesterday.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Coyote asked her, kissing her arm above the bandage wrapped around it.

"Yes," she answered truthfully.

"Did you use all of those herbs for pain?" He sat up, getting out of the bed. After lighting a candle, he retrieved the bottle and held it up close to the flame to check the amount of medicine inside. Once he had cast her a quizzical glance since it looked like none of the herbs had been taken, he poured water from the simple pottery jar into the cup to mix it for her. _Why does that woman have to be so damn stubborn? _he questioned himself.

Yumiko observed him in silence as he prepared the medicine for her. She had avoided taking any all day but regretted it upon being awakened by the dull ache from her deep restful sleep. Sitting up to brace her back against the headboard of the bed, she willingly accepted the cup from him to drink the medicine. The bitter tang made her shudder but it would be worth it to gain relief from the pain.

"Has Ichigo looked at it today?" Coyote inquired, touching the clean white bandage carefully.

"Yes. He redressed it after dinner. He said it's healing quite well," she told him, closing her eyes and willing herself to relax instead of tensing from the pain. She was still exhausted from the long journey home and the excising of her wound.

Coyote was worried about her. He slid his hand along the side of her face that still seemed a bit pale. When her eyes fluttered open, he returned her easy smile. He liked how she always had a smile ready for him whenever their eyes met. Pulling her forward with his hand on the back of her neck, he pressed his lips to hers for a brief kiss. There must have been some lingering herbs on her lips because a sour taste filled his mouth that reminded him of lemons.

"Ugh, now I understand why you try to avoid using that medicine," he mumbled, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

Yumiko laughed lightly before lying back down in the bed to get comfortable. The medicine was making her sleepy in addition to getting rid of the lingering pain. She edged closer to her husband when he lay down next to her. The tip of her nose grazed his, and she dared to brush her lips across his.

"When do you think we should start a family?" he queried, seeing her jaw tighten as her eyes closed.

"We need to wait a while to see what is going to happen to our kingdoms first," she answered, sliding her hand into his and bringing them under her chin.

"You're right. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the baby," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Coyote, I'm really tired. I don't want to think about any of that right now. Don't you think we should enjoy peace while we have it?" Her eyes opened briefly to meet his before closing again with drowsiness.

"Once again, my love, you are right." He pulled her closer to him, holding her head against his bare chest. "Just sleep."

_Sleep while peace still reigns and safety is a luxury we take for granted, _Coyote spoke inside of his mind as he held her securely in his arms. He did not know how long it would last, but he knew once it was gone, to once again live in tranquility would be a hard-won prize that would require a fierce battle and the death of many. _God, please don't take her from me,_ he prayed silently. Prayer was something he had never practiced in his life. He had thought it was reserved for weak-minded fools until he had found something worth saving besides his own neck. He was a fool for her and knew he always would be. _I need her worse than she needs me and you know that._

Yumiko felt his hand tighten around hers as he drew her closer to his body. She offered up her own prayer as well. _Lord, please take care of him. Take care of all of those I love. Father, Mother, Rukia, Uryuu, Coyote...and Ichigo. _Releasing an audible breath, the prayer suddenly changed to more selfish needs. _Dear God, help me. I love them both. Lead me not into temptation..._


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you, xfang-girlx, for betaing this for me. I apologize in advance for this chapter being so short. It's more of a segue into things to come. Hopefully the next one will be much longer.

* * *

Life at the castle had settled into a fabulously boring routine. Most of Coyote's days were spent with his Father-in-law or new unlikely ally, Ichigo. The King was familiarizing him with the kingdom and how he wants things ran when the ruling power would be transferred to him and Yumiko. Spending time with King Byakuya made it clear how much the man truly loved his daughter, and it was quite endearing. The friend he had found in Ichigo was quite unexpected but had become a necessary evil for the two men to form a united front against the black-haired archery tutor who seemed to take up most of their sweet Yumiko's time and attention. Uryuu insisted it was for the rehabilitation of her arm: to strengthen the damaged muscles and improve her skills. The jealous duo often debated if that was just a small part of his reasoning for ramping up her training.

Coyote and Ichigo were resting under a shady oak tree as they observed the day's training. It had been three months already. She seemed to be progressing at a superior rate, but her teacher had refused to lighten her heavy and regimented training schedule. At the moment, he was giving her more training with the crossbow to give her arm a rest. How nice of him.

Coyote inhaled deeply upon seeing the black-haired man holding _his_ wife while assisting her with proper placement of the arrow in the crossbow. He held his breath as Uryuu's fingers drifted down her arms that were lightly tanned from spending so much time in the sun. His teeth ground together when the man's long slender fingers slid down her sides before resting on her hips. Blowing out loudly, he successfully made a growling noise when he saw the man pull her tighter against him, his hips molding to her derriere.

"Dammit to hell, he's too fucking close," Ichigo snarled, stabbing his dagger into the ground next to him. He had previously been using the weapon to dig dirt from under his fingernails in a feigned act of boredom while he intently observed the lesson. _A lesson in what?_ he contemplated silently, gritting his teeth upon seeing the four eyed archery genius whispering in Yumiko's ear.

Coyote allowed the hint of a smile to play at the corners of his lips. Ichigo had just taken the words right out of his mouth with the ferocious curse.

"Are you sure those two never had sex?" Coyote asked suddenly, turning to look at the other man when he made a disturbing sound somewhere between a squeak and a shriek. He shrugged as the man stared at him with a gaping mouth and dumbfounded shock. "Well, the way he is touching her is just a little too familiar to be just a friend. The fact that she did not flinch away or become agitated shows she's been touched like that by him. You know, _intimately._"

"What are you saying?" Ichigo snarled through clenched.

"I'm saying despite what you think, Carrot Top, your nerdy little friend over there has tasted the sweetness of our lovely Koko in a more familiar fashion than you would like to think about," he murmured, leaning back against the tree to close his eyes. "Probably before you did."

If he looked at the expression on the irate orange haired man's face any longer, he would burst out laughing. He was not exactly pleased with the thought either but considering the man he had once been he could not be angry with her either. His chronic habit for loose women and brothels were no match for his wife's having had sex with these two men in a contest for who's bad. Since she could still love him despite his less than upstanding past, she would still be his beautiful, enchanting wife no matter what. These two men were past lovers and no matter how hard they might try, she was all his now so he could comfort himself with that fact.

"Dammit," Ichigo muttered, stabbing the ground again as he watched Yumiko giggle and turn to nuzzle her nose against that of the man behind her. "She never even fired off the shot."

"I don't think shooting that arrow was ever his intention. You and I both know he only wanted to get as close to her as possible," her husband pointed out, sighing noisily with resignation as Uryuu began to reposition her. He knew from the beginning his wife was a handful. Every damn day he was reminded of that fact.

~\..'../~

"Sōsuke, what are you doing here?" his startled father demanded when he walked into the man's bedchamber unexpectedly. "You are supposed to be back in your kingdom. What is wrong, my son?"

"I'm feeling a bit restless...uncomfortable. I want something," he paused, sighing heavily before closing his eyes briefly. "I need something more in my life, Father. It's time for me to seize it."

Sōsuke smiled humorlessly at the old man. Since when did King Baraggan have such a fatherly instinct and strong sense of familial ties? His smile morphed into a malicious grin as he neared the bed of his father with the jagged dagger hidden behind his back. He was ready to take over his father's kingdom. He had waited six months for the old bastard to die and so far it had not happened. Patience, especially when it came to gaining power, had never been one of his more prominent attributes. It was almost heart warming how his father trusted him so much; allowing him to come so close without expecting a thing. His silver-haired advisor waited outside to watch for any stray servants who might be wandering down the hall to check if the King had any last minute demands during the middle of the night. He had easily slipped back within the castle walls and navigated the secret tunnels to get to his father's bed chamber. No one could see him or suspect him for what he was about to do.

"Sōsuke, what - " the King's words were abruptly halted when his son leaned over him and inserted the dagger right into his heart. His mouth dropped open in startled confusion while his one good eye widened with terror and pain.

Sōsuke pulled out the dagger feeling the warm spray of blood across his face. Pulling back his lips from his teeth in a silent growl, he allowed the anger over his white suit being soiled to fuel his desire for his father's demise as he stabbed the helpless man in the heart again. He winced and tried to pull away when his father's huge hands grabbed the collar of his suit and pulled him close. Fury seethed within him that his suit was being totally ruined by this useless old man. Looking down, he watched with dark glee as each beat of his dying father's heart sent out a gush of blood that soaked and darkened the man's white sleeping robes.

"You bastard, Sōsuke. I always knew you'd be the one to kill me," King Baraggan whispered, his fingers gradually releasing his son's collar as his strength and life waned. "The only enemy I could never defeat was the one within my castle walls...my...own...son."

Sōsuke allowed a genuine smile of satisfaction to grace his lips when his father's eye rolled back into his head and the man's body fell back lifelessly against the pillows. He stood beside the bed with the dagger in his hand, nearly panting from the excitement of it all. The major obstacle between him and his throne was now gone. Only six more minor annoyances remained - his brother's and their wives. Raising the sleeve of his already destroyed suit to his face, he swiped at the blood defiling his handsome face. When his _trusted_ advisor walked in, he handed him the bloody dagger. Trust was not really the correct word for what he had for this man; it was more of an uncomfortable tolerance due to necessity.

Gin took hold of the weapon using his thumb and forefinger to gingerly grasp the very tip of the handle which was the only part that was not bloody. He stared at the man in front of him who appeared to be utterly orgasmic since the plan they had discussed for so long was finally being enacted.

"Gin, send out the announcements of my dear father's death. Tell everyone he died of natural causes in his sleep. Clean this mess up," he commanded his sycophantic underling who bowed deeply.

Gin watched the man walk toward the door while setting his mouth firmly in his customary fox-like smirk. "As you wish, your Highness."

~\..'../~

"Uryuu! HEY!" Ichigo yelled, jogging slightly to catch up to the long-legged archer who had been ignoring him and stalking away at full speed.

"What?" the black-haired man hissed impatiently, his dark blue eyes narrowing suspiciously. His _friend _had been treating him as if he had the plague for weeks. At this moment, for some reason, Ichigo suddenly wanted to talk. He had been brushed aside, bitched at, and just all around screwed over by the man who was supposed to be his best friend, and he did not even know why.

"I, uh...I, um..." Ichigo scratched the back of his head self-consciously while he hemmed and hawed around.

"Since you're obviously having problems with your question, let me ask you one. What the hell is wrong with you? What have I done to piss you off?" he demanded, holding his bow so tightly his fingers ached and his knuckles turned white.

Ichigo seized the opportunity and blurted, "Did you have sex with Yumiko?"

The shock of the question sent Uryuu staggering backwards a few steps as if he had been punched in the gut. His usually narrow eyes widened into wide rounds while he gaped at the man in front of him. "What?"

"Did you-" He began to abruptly be cut off.

"I heard you the first time, dumbass," the offended man growled. "Why are you asking me such a thing?"

Ichigo could feel his face getting hotter and hotter as his humiliation increased.

"Do you really want to know?" Uryuu inquired, feeling a bit embarrassed as well for being asked such an intimate question.

"Yes," Ichigo answered succinctly.

Just as Uryuu opened his mouth, Yumiko appeared in the distance yelling their names. They glanced at each other questioningly before running toward her to close the distance. Despite her physical exertion, her face was deathly pale as she ran into Ichigo's arms. The man could not resist throwing Uryuu a self-satisfied smirk as if to say "Haha, she chose _me_." The archer, however, was completely unaffected and pretended to take a great interest in his fingernails. Yumiko moved to him next, leaning against him heavily as she enclosed his neck with her arms. Priding himself on having more class than his counterpart, Uryuu held her, focusing his attention on her by kissing her forehead and speaking softly to her. A warm, fuzzy feeling of _fuck you, Ichigo_ blossomed within him when he heard the man curse under his breath after she snuggled into him.

"What is it? Tell me," Uryuu implored her, pushing her back a bit to look down at her face that was starting to regain a bit of its normal coloring.

"It's starting. It's here," she mumbled cryptically.

Uryuu noticed a startled expression flash across Ichigo's face briefly before he regained his typical grumpy face. He glimpsed down at her while she panted for air. Hoping she would explain further, he kept a firm grip on her while allowing her to catch her breath. Feeling her body weaken and grow heavier in his arms, he carefully lowered his body and hers to the ground while keeping his arms around her as he knelt beside her.

"Uryuu, King Baraggan is dead. We were warned when we received this announcement a war would soon be starting. His son, Sōsuke, wants to take over all of the kingdoms, including ours. I'm scared," she whispered, clutching the sleeve of his uniform.

Uryuu and Ichigo stared at each other in shock from her stunning admission. Yumiko was never afraid of anything; or if she was, she would never admit it. Ichigo continued the explanation to fully enlighten their companion as to what it would mean for all of them. Their lives as they knew them were coming to an end. A time of upheaval, desperation, fear, and most of all, war, would begin.

"There's one more thing," Ichigo added as Uryuu assisted Yumiko with standing to her feet. "Sōsuke will do everything within his power to kill Coyote. And Yumiko."

"I won't let that happen," the archer declared, holding onto the woman possessively.

Ichigo smiled despite himself. "I was hoping you would say that."

Uryuu began to walk toward the castle while holding Yumiko under his arm protectively. Turning his head to yell over his shoulder at the man behind them, he exclaimed, "To answer your question, yes."

"DAMMIT!" Ichigo bellowed.

"What question?" Yumiko queried, looking up at her friend with obvious bafflement all over her pretty face.

"Nothing, Miko, nothing at all," he replied nonchalantly with a gratified smile on his face.

Yumiko wondered what Uryuu's 'cat that ate the canary' grin was all about but did not feel like asking anymore questions. She had too many questions of her own running around in her head after receiving the news of Baraggan's death. What would be the event to start it off? Would Sōsuke come after them like a man of honor in battle or would he be a low snake in the grass and send assassins? It was difficult to tell since the man could be both. Despite being a real bastard, he had a disturbingly high sense of gentlemanly pride that involved, strangely enough, keeping to strict codes of chivalry and courtly manners. Trying to find answers made her head ache and only created more questions. Unfortunately, she would discover soon enough how it would all begin.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks to my patient and eagle-eyed beta xfang-girlx who caught my crap ton of stupid errors in this chapter. Thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers as well. Shout out to Leyshla! Hey girl!

* * *

Coyote and Yumiko arrived first since they had taken horses and ridden ahead, forsaking a bumpy and definitely uncomfortable carriage ride. The rest of the traveling party from the East Kingdom was several hours behind. Before they were able to dismount, the other two brothers and their wives were there to greet them. Yumiko could not resist the urge to hug the pitiful looking Grimmjow who had red rimmed eyes and a puffy face from crying. She embraced his gorgeous blond wife next who remained silent and emotionless. Ulquiorra was greeted with a handshake from Coyote. The stoic man offered Yumiko a slight nod of acknowledgement which she returned with the same disinterested aloofness exhibited by the youngest brother. Poor Orihime virtually fell into Coyote's arms, smashing her big breasts against his chest as she bawled on his shoulder. Her husband simply rolled his eyes while shoving his hands into his pockets before walking away. Yumiko's sweet blue haired brother-in-law was there by her side in a second to keep her from feeling lonely. Taking her by the hand, he led her into the castle while his brother struggled to haul in the despondent orange haired woman clutching him like a drowning woman holds onto a life preserver.

"Is she all right?" Yumiko asked Grimmjow whose arm had slid around her waist to hold her to his side at this point.

"I'm glad she can experience emotions for herself and Ulquiorra. Emotionless bastard. At least someone needs to grieve for my Father," he sniffed, squeezing her slightly before releasing her.

Yumiko resisted the compulsion to turn to him and hug him. She would have never thought the incredibly horny bluenette could be so sensitive and thoughtful. Her hand did cover his that was on her hip; mostly to keep it from sliding around to her backside but partly to comfort him. She could still hear Orihime sobbing behind them as he led her down the hall to the dining room where everyone was gathering. As they entered the room, she could see the murderous and self-centered Sōsuke sitting at the head of the table. Her body stiffened and she lurched forward angrily upon seeing that he was wasting no time establishing himself as the new king in the smallest of ways.

"Calm down. Even if you could get your hands around his neck, what would you do? Look around him," Grimmjow whispered, holding onto her tightly with both of his arms encircling her waist.

Yumiko glanced at the face of each man that flanked the soon to be king of the Central and North Kingdoms who fancied himself as becoming the ruler of all. She recognized the creepy face, the slit eyes and mirthless grin that never changed, of the silver haired adviser of King Baraggan who had obviously been Sōsuke's little minion all along. The face of the blind, dark skinned man who had acted as the former superstitious King's sorcerer was also standing beside him. She had always doubted this man was a pathetic, hack magician; her suspicions were now confirmed that he had to be much more than that. Then there were a few others she did not recognize. A tall thin man who appeared to be a mad scarecrow come to life with long stringy black hair stood dressed in armor that looked like it should have been too heavy for him to even bear the weight of it. The eye-patch he wore made her wonder if it was strictly decorative or a necessity. Either way, she did not want to find out the answer. There were a few others including two lanky men, one with long blond hair and the other with short pink hair who stood side by side and a huge man half as wide as he was tall. Her vision blurred as she attempted to focus on the other random strangers brought along by Sōsuke. These men no doubt would be the ones to help him in his attempt to conquer and reign all of the kingdoms. Reeling from weariness and thankful for her touchy-feely companion, she leaned against his body heavily from the dizziness that overwhelmed her.

"Koko, what is it?" Coyote asked, appearing in front of her. When he had seen his wife falter, he had immediately extricated himself from Orihime's grip so he could go to her.

"I-I just need to l-lie d-down," she stammered, holding onto her husband's muscular biceps as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm just tired. It was a long trip after all."

"I'm taking her upstairs. Can you have some food and water brought up to us?" he inquired of his brother who was usually not an accommodating man. However, he was pretty sure the man would make an exception for Yumiko.

"Of course. Just take her upstairs to your room. I'll send someone up," he readily agreed, following them out of the room before turning to walk toward the kitchen.

"I'm so embarrassed. I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry," she apologized, grasping the lapels of his jacket to keep the room from spinning.

"You haven't been eating again. Please honey, don't make yourself sick worrying. You have to stay strong. For me...I need you," he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

"Stop pretending to be so weak just to make me feel needed," Yumiko chided him, patting him on the chest. "I think I can walk."

"We're almost there. Besides, I like having you in my arms," he said, kissing her on the forehead. He did not bother to argue with her that he was not pretending that he would be weak without her. She truly did not understand how much she meant to him.

Yumiko reached down to turn the doorknob on the door so they could enter his room. She smiled to see the room had been freshened and cleaned for their arrival. A lovely bouquet of white peace lilies sat on the table in the room. The irony of the type of flower was not lost on her even in her present state. She grabbed her husband's hand when he turned to leave.

"Don't go just yet," she pled with him, pulling him down onto the bed with her. Pressing her lips to his, she buried her fingers into his silky shoulder length hair. "Stay with me."

"Sweetheart," Coyote whispered against her lips, pushing her down on the bed. He lay down next to her, putting his hand on her hip to roll her onto her side. "I'll stay until you're asleep." Kissing the tip of her nose, he assured her, "I'll be back as soon as possible to wake you up in the most pleasurable of ways."

"I'll hold you to that promise," she said, hugging his body to hers.

"Please do."

~\..'../~

Coyote entered their Father's audience chambers just in time to see Grimmjow leap forward to attack their oldest brother. Rushing forward, he assisted Ulquiorra with removing the livid man's hands from around Sōsuke's throat. Obviously his brother had decided to fulfill Yumiko's desire to throttle the arrogant bastard. He held back the growling cursing man despite the fact he would like nothing more than to see his brother dead. They all knew this moment had been coming but it did not make it any easier to cope with it. The brothers were quite aware of how their father had died despite the story they were told of King Baraggan passing away peacefully in his sleep. Despite being a morbidly overweight old geezer, their father had been in optimum health.

Sōsuke quickly smoothed back his disheveled hair, immediately regaining his calm, composed demeanor that his brother had successfully destroyed by attempting to choke him. He stood up to impatiently smooth down his rumpled clothes with an expression of disgust on his face. Sliding his blue haired sibling a caustic glare, he smiled the self-satisfied smile of the totally conceited and convinced before he sat back down on the throne that their father had occupied for so many years.

"You bastard," Ulquiorra growled surprising his brothers with his vehement outburst. "How can you sit there after what you've done?"

"What have I done, baby brother?" he challenged his youngest sibling with a sinister smile.

"You killed Father and you know it!" Grimmjow hollered, shrugging out of Coyote's grip.

"That's just the beginning," Sōsuke murmured, steepling his fingers together under his chin while he gazed coldly at each brother in turn.

"You're not even going to deny it?" Coyote inquired incredulously, taken aback by his brother's audacity. This attitude of self-centered brazenness even seemed a bit much for him.

Sōsuke shrugged lazily, rolling his eyes with disinterest. "Why should I?" he inquired offhandedly while leaning forward to glower at his brother. "What could you possibly do to me anyway?"

Coyote curled his fingers into tight fists by his sides. He refused to give in to the compulsion to pummel his brother's egotistical face into a bloody mess. This situation would require a cool head while he remained in complete control of his ability to think. Brute force would never be the proper way to confront his devious and decidedly evil brother.

Shirayuki opened the doors to boldly enter the lion's den. Her glacial blue eyes looked over each man in a disturbing calculated manner that only rivaled that of her husband. She could not have been the more perfect choice for the wily Sōsuke; a veritable match made in hell because heaven had nothing to do with that pairing of wicked beings.

"Gentleman, dinner is being served in the main dining hall," she announced before bowing slightly, more as a formality than a show of respect. "Would you please join us?"

Even she was acting as the lady of the castle, the Queen. It was almost too much for the brothers to bear. Tomorrow they would lay their father to rest. Then they would immediately leave the castle the next day before the war among them broke out here within the castle walls.

...

Yumiko was standing at the window allowing the warm breeze of the summer evening to blow over her to warm her skin from this chill she could not seem to escape. Somehow the creeping sensation that something terrible was going to happen would not stop plaguing her. Rubbing her neck, she attempted to loosen the tender muscles that had knotted with apprehension. She jumped when the door opened. When her eyes fell on her husband, she sighed with relief and ran into his arms.

"What happened?" she asked with concern drawing her dark eyebrows together over her nose.

"I don't want to talk about it. Just kiss me," he requested, tipping her chin up to bring her lips close to his.

Yumiko gladly granted his request, pressing her lips to his. The kiss began tenderly with gentle pressure while his fingertips brushed across her cheeks. She put her arms around his waist to pull herself closer to him which he saw as an invitation to deepen the kiss. Parting her lips slightly, she enticed his tongue to taste hers by pressing the tip to his lower lip.

Eagerly accepting the provocative invitation, Coyote held her by the arms and crushed her chest to his, flattening her sizable breasts against him while he probed her mouth. He pulled back, staring down at her.

"We will be leaving here as soon as possible. You're in danger as long as we stay here," he told her, raising his hand to caress her silky cheek.

"I know. But I'm not afraid," she rejoined, holding the intense gaze of his deep bluish gray eyes.

"I know you're not," he returned, kissing her again.

Yumiko pushed apart his jacket, sliding her hands over the soft material of his shirt that was stretched over his muscled chest. Her hands moved over his shoulders to push the jacket down his arms. Her fingers glided back up his arms, luxuriating in the sensation of his soft skin and taut muscles under her fingertips. She sighed when his fingertips did some exploring of their own over her rigid nipple poking at the thin material of her cotton summer dress that bared her arms yet still flowed to the floor. Rising to her tiptoes, she kissed her husband on the cheek before whispering in his ear.

"I didn't wear pants under this dress." She kissed him briefly on the lips before looking into his eyes. "Or underwear."

"Damn," he gasped, pulling her mouth to his for a ravenous kiss as he picked her up using a hand to grasp each butt cheek. He squeezed and kneaded her firm behind through the material of the dress, getting more turned on by the moment when he discovered for himself that she was telling the truth. Carrying her over to the bed, he lay her down before he took the time to slowly undress in front of her.

Yumiko happily watched her husband strip down to be as naked as the day he was born to reveal his amazing body to her. Reaching out to touch him, her fingers moved across the defined lines marking his abdomen making him inhale sharply. Her fingers moved to the bow at the top of her dress, but he pushed her hands away. She watched his handsome face as he straddled her body and proceeded to untie the bow before beginning the gradual, teasing process of unlacing the dress. Her body tingled as the ribbon made a whisper soft sound when it was pulled through the eyelet lace through which it had been threaded. Goose bumps raised across her chest when he used the end of end of the silky ribbon to tickle the line of flesh revealed to him when the fabric separated. She inhaled a deep shaky breath that caused the material to gape open further to bare more of her skin.

Coyote pressed his hand to her chest before sliding it over her skin to push the dress aside so he could feel the smooth, firm flesh of her round breast beneath his palm. His member pulsated and twitched because he wanted her so urgently. Leaning down, he kissed her lips while his other hand reached down to begin pulling up her skirt. He could no longer bear leaving the one last barrier in place between him and his prize. Sliding down her body, he positioned himself between her legs before entering her which brought a quiet moan from her lips. Once he was completely buried within her, he paused a moment to stare down at her beautiful face.

"What is it?" she asked, pressing her palms to his cheeks.

"I always want to remember how gorgeous you look right now. I love you," he murmured, kissing her lips as he began to move inside of her.

Yumiko was not given the chance to tell him that she loved him as well since he did not remove his lips from hers until he had taken away her ability to speak by driving her mad with pleasure. She held onto him as he devastated her into a wailing, shaking mess beneath him. Once she was thoroughly pleased after experiencing several breath taking orgasms, only then did he allow himself to fully consummate his own pleasure. Afterwards, they lay in each other's arms, their chests heaving laboriously as they greedily breathed in great big gulps of air. Snuggling into her husband, she pressed her cheek to his chest to listen to his heartbeat as it slowed from a frantic, excited pace to a calm steady beat that began to lull her to sleep.

Coyote could not sleep. He had never suffered so many sleepless nights as he had since the entrance of this woman into his life. Pulling her close to his body, he held her until he fell into a fitful sleep.

~...~

The funeral was just as big and pompous as the man it was for. The casket was carried on an open, flat cart through the villages surrounding the castle on its way to the church where her and Coyote's marriage did not take place the first time. A full entourage of uniformed soldiers surrounded the coffin on wheels while a line of carriages containing the members of the royal family followed behind to form a morbid little parade. Eight knights wearing full armor carried the coffin to the front of the church. The sons trailed behind, each escorting his wife, with Sōsuke leading then going in order by age.

Coyote stared at the back of his brother's head with hate and murderous thoughts filling his brain. Little did he know his wife was having the same kind of thoughts. Yumiko pictured aiming one of the special arrows he had given her at the hollow area just above the nape of the man's neck. There it would enter just below the skull and open up to penetrate his brain causing instant death. The sound of sniffing and the occasional wail of mourning caused them to push the awful thoughts from their heads so they could give the solemn occasion the proper respect it deserved. King Baraggan was not the best father, or the greatest King for that matter, but he was both so he deserves a befitting send off to honor those positions since the man himself was not so revered.

The church was filled to capacity, onlookers flooding the aisles and overflowing out the front doors while others peeped into the windows with their faces and hands pressed to the glass. Most of these people were curious to see what might occur because of the funeral proceedings but not to pay their respects for the dead King. Rumors had spread through the Central Kingdom; mostly created by a rumor mill set into place by the insidious Sōsuke himself. Murmurings of fighting among the nobles to gain more land which would lead to the pillaging of villages and murdering of innocent people had instilled the fear and near hysteria necessary to easily tip off a war. Everything was going according to his plan and the brothers were feeling more and more powerless to stop him. Setting that aside for the day, they suffered through the prolonged ceremony that involved many prayers and sermons from various members of the clergy and speeches from the feudal lords who had traveled here for the occasion just to hear themselves speak. People began to grow bored or hungry or just plain tired as the unnecessary formalities dragged on and on through the morning into the afternoon. Then came the interminable task of standing in a line to receive condolences from the funeral attendees. This had become the never ending ritual. By the time the family was able to leave the church, the sun was setting.

"That was the most miserable thing I have ever been forced to tolerate," Tier grumbled, sitting down on the steps of the carriage to remove her shoes and rub her sore feet.

Grimmjow knelt in front of her, placing her heel on his knee to begin rubbing the sole of her aching foot with his thumbs. He smiled when she moaned her gratitude. One of his hands moved up her leg to massage her calf muscle while his other hand worked the pressure points on her foot.

Yumiko could not help but smile from watching the affectionate scene. That couple's relationship had baffled her since meeting them. Despite their voracious sexual appetites which they gladly indulged and satisfied in any way possible, they truly loved each other. She turned to her husband whose always sleepy looking eyes betrayed his weariness by appearing sleepier than ever especially as he rubbed them with the heels of his hands. Her arms slid around his waist to offer him a comforting embrace. She offered the stone faced Ulquiorra a smile, not expecting to receive one in return and not being disappointed when she did not get it, when he joined their little group.

"Where's Orihime?" Yumiko asked, craning her neck to look around him to see if his wife was following behind him somewhere.

"Asleep in the carriage. It's been a long day," he remarked without emotion.

"That's an understatement," Grimmjow muttered, carefully removing his wife's foot from his knee to reach down for the other one. "So what do we do now?"

"Wait. There's nothing else we can do," Coyote said, sounding so defeated it prompted Yumiko to hug him again.

"Speaking of waiting," Ulquiorra began, "We can't leave tomorrow like we had planned."

"Why?" Grimmjow demanded, standing up so abruptly he accidentally flipped his wife backwards into the carriage by using her leg as a lever.

"Grimmjow, you idiot!" she yelled, pushing down her dress that had ridden up to her golden tanned thighs when her legs had flown upward.

After a short nervous outburst of laughter from the unexpected funny scene, they turned their attention back to the man who had been speaking.

"Our _dear _brother has decided tomorrow will be his coronation day," he informed them, receiving a collective gasp and gape mouthed stares in return.

"But he can't do that! He can't arbitrarily decide to - " Grimmjow huffed to be interrupted by his affectless little brother.

"He can and he has," he rejoined in a bored tone. However, a pink color formed small circles on his pale cheeks and began to grow while his big green eyes filled with the fury and abhorrence he was hiding deep within. "He's not waiting, and it's frustrating that we are forced to wait for his next move. He is acting even faster than we had anticipated."

"As soon as this is over, we have to return to our kingdoms to plan and prepare. We have to mobilize our armies. We have to be ready," Coyote said with the same inexpressive manner of his youngest brother.

Yumiko bit her lower lip to keep from crying out as his fingers dug into her arm with a painfully strong grip. She refused to react because she knew he was taking great care to bury his own apprehension at this time. Lowering her eyes to the ground, she had to admit to herself that she had lied to him last night. She was afraid. She was very afraid; not just for herself and her family but for all of them and their people.


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks to my beta, xfang-girlx! She helped me perfect this chapter completely.

* * *

Yumiko had not slept well, doubting she had actually slept at all. For hours she had lain awake waiting for Coyote to come to bed from discussing present matters and how to proceed with his brothers. When he arrived with the help of Grimmjow, so drunk he could barely walk, she had been too disappointed with his behavior to be angry with him. She was hoping he would fill her in on what they had talked about, but he passed out before his head even hit the pillow. She was torn between whether to be happy or aggravated that Grimmjow was not much better off than her husband and had to stagger back out of the door to his room before he gave in to his drunken stupor. She was thrilled he was too drunk to flirt with her but it also meant he was too drunk to tell her anything that had transpired during their meeting. Then she was left alone with her thoughts once more along with the extra added ingredient of annoyance with her husband's behavior. Now was not the time to be getting shamelessly drunk. Sighing loudly to release a bit of her irritation, she reached over to brush his shoulder length waves out his face. However, perhaps he had the right idea; now seemed the perfect time to get drunk and forget everything at least for a moment. Leaning down to kiss his cheek, she rolled out of the bed, not bothering to be careful because she doubted she could wake him if she jumped on him. As the first rays of sunlight crawled across the floor toward her, she changed from her nightgown into her brown leather vest and brown leather pants. Grabbing her bow that Uryuu had designed for her, she retrieved her practice arrows and was off for a bit of target practice to release some tension. Carefully making her way down the dark hall, she paused by door of Grimmjow and Tier's room when there was a loud moan. Her belly tightened as she heard a low grunt that was unmistakably that of the bluenette before another, almost plaintive cry came from Tier.

"Honestly, why the hell am I standing here for and listening to this?" she asked herself, assuming she must be listening to them engaged in an intimate moment.

Straightening her shoulders and readjusting the quiver on her back, Yumiko continued on her way down the hall and to the kitchen. Seizing a few vegetables to serve as targets, she snatched one of her favorite little cakes as well to cease the growling of her belly. After shoving the whole miniature cake in her mouth, she loaded her arms with as many large turnips and potatoes as she could somewhat comfortably carry. She smiled at the servants she passed, obviously looking ridiculous with the cake stretching her mouth and an armload of root veggies. Since she was a member of the royal family, no one questioned her; only giving her the perfunctory bow and smile in return. Going to the open field that was covered with golden morning light, she set up the vegetables in a row before backing away fifty paces to take aim at the first target: a big fat turnip with a white top and purple bottom. Pulling back her arrow while picturing the back of Sōsuke's head instead of the turnip, she released the arrow. She allowed a smile to curl her lips as the blunt tip of the practice arrow implanted itself in the back of his imaginary skull. Pausing a moment and staring at the turnip, she contemplated the concept that if she had the chance, one blessed opportunity, could she actually kill Sōsuke? Thinking of her husband and the rest of her family, she raised the arrow and pictured Sōsuke's handsome but fiendish face on the next turnip. Freeing her arrow, it sunk into his forehead in her mind's eye. Yes, she could. She would willingly kill him to keep her family and everyone she loved safe. As the face of each person she loved flashed through her brain, she aimed and shot every vegetable. Pausing once the last potato was skewered, she realized she was breathless from her wild imaginings of murdering the man she had grown to hate in such an encompassing manner in such a short time.

Yumiko dropped her arms by her sides, feeling the weight of the bow pulling down her arm as if she were holding a millstone. Her shoulders sagged under the weight of her very thoughts. A warm hand moved across her bare midriff, making her gasp in surprise. Believing the hand belonged to Coyote since she was being touched in such a familiar manner, she permitted her body to relax into that of the man behind her. When the hand clamped down on her side and immediately pulled her roughly against him, she knew she had committed a grievous error before another big hand slapped itself over her mouth.

"Do you really think such attire and behavior is fitting of a future queen?" the unfamiliar voice hissed in her ear.

Yumiko tried the place the voice, guessing it belonged to one of the many new henchman that Sōsuke had brought with him. Wiggling her body, she fought to free herself from the man's grip that was cutting off her oxygen he was squeezing her so tightly around her middle. She was also finding it difficult to breathe in through her nose because he was holding it slightly closed.

"Stop struggling," he warned her, his voice a little louder and stronger. "It excites me."

Yumiko emitted a scream that was muffled into a pathetic moan under his hand when he rubbed his body against hers to show her just how much it aroused him. Halting her struggling which was proving useless anyway, she hung limply in his arms. Her eyes widened when the lanky man with long blond hair appeared in front of her. Considering he was the one standing in front of her, she surmised it was his pink haired brother holding her and nearly suffocating her.

"Stop it, Szayelaporro, she can't breathe," the man cautioned his brother. "We're not supposed to hurt her. King's orders."

"Dammit," he growled, freeing her nose so she could breathe but keeping a tight grip on her mouth. "He steals all of my fun. I want to at least perform a few experiments on her."

Yumiko moaned helplessly when his hand slid up her vest to clamp over her breast. She flung her head back, not caring that she would get an awful headache from head butting him. Jabbing back with her one free elbow, she caught him in the ribs as she stomped down on his booted foot with the heel of her boot. She hit the ground on her knees when the man shoved her forward mercilessly almost driving her into the ground. Before she could stand up to run, she was grabbed around the waist by the blonde. These two men were amazingly strong which their long lithe bodies hid very well.

"Hold on to her, Yylfordt!" the pink haired man yelled, crawling forward to wrap his hands around her kicking ankles.

Yumiko was able to release a scream before a hand was clamped over her mouth. She kicked and pushed, attempting to free herself from their tightly grasping hands. Her muscles were aching from her powerful kicks and punches that did not deter the men holding on to her. They were just as determined to bring her under control as she was to gain her freedom. She was sure they had more to lose if they allowed her make a break for it so she already knew this was a losing battle.

"I'm putting her out," Szayelaporro announced, pressing his thumb and forefinger around her neck to cut off the blood flow to her brain.

Yumiko whimpered as everything wavered in her vision before it disappeared completely when she lost consciousness.

~...~

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Coyote bellowed at the top of his lungs as he flung open the door to Grimmjow's room. He stood still momentarily when he saw the man sitting on the edge of the bed holding his head in his hands. "What did you do with her?! Where is she?"

"Would you stop yelling?" Grimmjow moaned, holding his aching head. "Who? What in the hell are you freaking out about, dumbass?"

"Yumiko, you horny pervert! Did you catch her in the hall? Drag her to a room and fuck her to leave her there?" he demanded, stepping closer to his brother.

"I would love to do that you idiot, but I don't know where she is," his brother murmured, raising his head to reveal the huge lump on his forehead.

"What the hell happened to you?" Coyote asked, his anger turning to concern for his brother who must feel like his skull is about to explode judging by the size of the goose egg sized and shaped bump covering half of his forehead.

"I don't know. I thought I dreamed there were two men in the room last night who had pulled Tier out of the bed," he mumbled, gingerly touching the injury and hissing in pain. "Apparently it wasn't a dream. I woke up with this, and she's gone."

"Where's Orihime?!" Ulquiorra yelled, his already large green eyes open even wider in his current panicked state.

Coyote and Grimmjow were shocked into being speechless at their brother's uncharacteristic show of emotion. They stared at him in gape mouthed awe, and just a smidge of terror, as he proceeded to rant like a madman in front of them.

"Our wives are gone too," Coyote informed him to halt his tirade that was becoming somewhat terrifying from the display of raw emotion he was exhibiting.

"What?" the youngest brother asked, dumbfounded by what he had heard.

"They're gone, you big baby!" Grimmjow hollered, regretting it when excruciating pain ripped through his head. "Calm the hell down and think. What is your problem? You're the one who usually keeps the rest of us calm."

"It's just that - " He stopped speaking, staring at the floor between his feet. "She's never been away from me. I've left her but she's never left me."

"Oh, for god's sake...OW!" Grimmjow whined when his older brother thumped him on the ear.

"Shut up, asshole, now isn't the time to hurl insults," Coyote snarled at him. "We've got to find our wives."

"Missing something, brothers?" Sōsuke inquired as if he had no idea what was going on.

"You know we are," Coyote growled at his older sibling and the man he would be so happy to kill with his bare hands. "Where are they?"

"Who? Whatever are you talking about, dear brother?" the eldest sibling asked, a menacing smile pulling at his lips.

"We don't have time for this, you son-of-a-bitch! Where are our wives?" Grimmjow demanded, moving threateningly toward his brother. When two of the man's goons, the scarecrow named Nnoitra and the giant named Yammy, stepped in front to block his advance, he stepped back with his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. With his head hurting like it was, he doubted he could take them so he willingly backed down. Besides, he could not find his wife if he could not walk or move.

"Careful, brother, do not talk about my mother," Sōsuke warned him, stepping between the two men who had acted as a human shield.

"She's not my mother. Why do I fucking care? She has to be a bitch to have made a monster like you," the irate blue haired man growled, keeping his anger in check.

"Hmmm," he grunted, laying his hand over his heart. "You wound me deeply, Grimmjow."

"Not yet I don't, you bastard. But I will. One day, I will," he promised in an ominous tone, baring his prominent canine teeth that gave him a feral appearance.

"You are in no place to threaten me. Do not forget, I have something you want very badly," he reminded the man, glancing at his brothers as well.

"I'm going to look for my wife," Coyote said, bumping his brother's shoulder as he tried to move past him. He was halted by Sōsuke's hand pressing against the shoulder he had used to hit him.

"Not so fast, dear brother. My coronation is today. Everyone will expect you to be there. If you are not," he said in a low voice that held a menacing tone, "the subjects of the Kingdom will see it as a slight, an act of defiance...a declaration of war. You do not want to declare war, do you?"

"No, I don't," he answered, glaring at his brother as he met the even gaze of his dark brown eyes. "You do."

"Be careful what you say. These are treacherous times," Sōsuke murmured calmly with the same threatening undertone. "_Anything_ you say or do could be misconstrued as rebellion against your King and could start a war."

"How do we get them back?" Coyote asked, moving back from his brother.

"Be patient. I'll give them back when I'm done with them," he replied, allowing a sinister little grin to grace his mouth.

"Bastard," Grimmjow mumbled, hanging his head. He felt helpless, and he hated it.

Coyote agreed with his brother's sentiment. Every time he thought he could not hate his brother any more than he already did, Sōsuke had the talent for pushing that loathing just a little further.

~...~

Gin aided the unflappable Shirayuki into the carriage. He would be traveling with her while the captives, who were tied and gagged, would be traveling in the other carriage. The three women would be kept under the watchful eyes of the Granz brothers, Yammy, and Nnoitra. He considered the possibility that Szayelaporro needed a watchdog of his own. Although his sense of morality was quite low, he did in fact take issue with the way the man had groped the unconscious Yumiko and continued to eye her like a slab of meat he wanted to devour. Staring out of the window of the carriage, he studied the pink haired miscreant who rode close enough to the carriage that he could stare inside at his quarry. His fingers curled into fists as he watched the man lick his lips hungrily. No harm was supposed to come to the wives; he would make sure that no harm came to them from any source.

"You don't look happy, Gin," Shirayuki commented, allowing a mirthless smile to pull up the corners of her lips.

"And you do, Shirayuki. That frightens me," he admitted, turning his narrow eyes to the woman. His fox grin had forsaken him because of the appearance of the smile on her face that grew wider. How horrifying.

"Why did I have to come along again?" she asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Because, my lovely Queen, to keep everyone from viewing your husband with suspicion, you had to be taken hostage, so to speak, as well," he pointed out to her for the fifth time. He knew she was an intelligent woman, and there was no excuse for the petulant question. She was being an irritating bitch as she was sometimes prone to do, and he was losing his patience.

"This is just so inconvenient," she sighed, rolling her icy blue eyes.

"My poor Queen," he muttered, indulging in a bit of sarcasm. "You have to suffer with your servants, your rich food, your nice comfortable bed while those women will be kept in the dungeon."

"Or subjected to worse," she added gazing out of the carriage at the pink haired man. "Our resident mad scientist has taken a rather avid interest in the bride of Coyote, don't you think? I wonder what special plans he might have for her."

Gin turned his attention to Szayelaporro to avoid looking at the woman and her excessively creepy smile. _These women don't deserve to be tortured. They don't deserve any of this, _he thought to himself, fighting to restrain his emotions of which he seemed to have lost control. Now would not be a good time for him to lose his senses. Too much was riding on his completing this assignment for his King. _His _King. Swallowing convulsively, he was glad he did not have to speak the words or he might have choked on their acidity.


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks to my beta xfang-girlx for looking over this chapter for me! :D I'm afraid subsequent updates might be just slow in coming like this one due to unrelenting stress and out of control circumstances in my life. I will do the best I again while trying to continue creating great chapters so please be patient.

* * *

Coyote, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra sat through the excruciatingly long and ostentatious coronation that somehow far exceeded the grandiose funeral that had been afforded to their father. Of course their imperious oldest sibling had to go one step further to put himself in the spotlight completely so everyone would easily forget any memory of the former king. The men were antsy and just plain annoyed. They were stuck here enduring this horrid experiment in pomp and circumstance while their wives were being spirited away to God only knew where. Coyote had managed to talk to Ichigo and Uryū who thankfully had come along on the trip. He had informed them of the disappearance of the wives upon which the two men immediately set about attempting to find some clue as to where the captors might be taking them. At least they were able to flee before the proceedings began otherwise they would be stuck here as well unable to do any damn good except to put on a public facade to keep the abducted women safe.

...

Ichigo and Uryū had easily found tracks made carriages through the tall grass behind the castle that led into the surrounding forest. Once again, they were lucky to find a winding path through the trees which was the only possible route the carriages could have taken.

"They're not very smart are they?" Uryū remarked, his eyes following the deep ruts made by the carriages in the otherwise undisturbed and hardly used path. It appeared they also had escorts on horseback; most likely four which would account for the sudden disappearance of four of Sōsuke's guards.

"No," Ichigo agreed, resisting the urge to spout out a snarky comment such as 'no kidding and you're a real brain trust too aren't you?' Taking a deep breath to rid himself of the desire to issue an unnecessary insult, he continued, "I suppose we should be grateful for their stupidity. Besides, the brain of the operation is getting crowned today and keeping himself above suspicion. I'm sure Sōsuke would be livid to know they made such a stupid mistake and made it so easy for us to follow them."

They continued on in silence, both trapped in their own terrifying thoughts. They were worried their incredible luck would run out and the getaway trail would not be so easy to follow. Worse yet, what would happen to Yumiko if they did not find her? What if Sōsuke issued the order for one of the wives to be killed and have it blamed on another one? This would tip off a war between at least two of the kingdoms with the intention of seeking revenge. What if he killed them all and accused a third unknown party? The vagueness as to the identity of the murderers would cause paranoia to run rampant therefore bringing everyone under suspicion which would in turn spark many small skirmishes among the people in their misguided attempt to bring the guilty party to justice. Any scenario would be awful with even worse far-reaching consequences. If they did not find the wives, they were confident the women would be killed regardless of the reason or ulterior motive at some point. Sōsuke was that special kind of sick that enjoyed causing unnecessary harm and emotional pain to people. That was evident by the actions he had taken to gain the crown. Now that he had it, the possibilities of what he was capable of doing was absolutely appalling.

...

Not once were the distraught husbands questioned about the location of their wives. They could only assume that since all four were gone, the nobles and the people thought they were all overwhelmed by grief at the loss of King Baraggan and unable to attend the crowning of the new King. Then again, maybe the nobles just did not care and the people were too fearful to inquire about such a private matter as to why their wives were not in attendance for the occasion. Either way, they were left to deal with their private agony of wondering where their wives had been taken and how long they would be alive. All the while, big brother Sōsuke reveled in the adoration and accolades; whether the praise was sincere or not had no bearing on how it puffed up his already inflated ego. Surely at this time, the man thought he was above God himself. It was becoming more difficult for the bereft husbands to hold themselves together, especially each time their brother cast a haughty, knowing glare in their direction.

The three were standing huddled together in a corner of the cavernous dance hall filled with people ignoring the merriment around them. The festive dancing, the bawdy laughter, the smiles, and upbeat aura were all lost on them as they shared a bottle of whiskey between them that Grimmjow had pilfered from their father's private stash. Champagne would not be enough to take the edge off of their raw emotions. Champagne also represented a celebratory occasion which this was _not _a reason to celebrate for them. Upon the dethroning, and preferably the death, of Sōsuke, they would they pop the cork on several hundred bottles of champagne. Spread the news through the land! Ring the church bells and rejoice! Ding, dong the bastard's dead! Until then, they were stuck sulking and drowning in worry while the new King delighted in the attention given to him by virtue of his ill-gotten throne.

"I hate that bastard," Grimmjow growled, taking a long draw from the half empty bottle. "I'll kill him."

"Get in line," Ulquiorra snarled back, snatching the bottle away as his brother raised it for another swallow. "My turn. You just had a drink."

"You little prick, I oughta - " Grimmjow was cut short by his second oldest brother.

"You oughta shut up, Grimmjow," Coyote hissed at him, never releasing their brother and new king of the Central and North Kingdoms from his deadly glare. "We don't need to start fighting with each other."

"Where's your hunting dogs anyway?" Ulquiorra demanded, pouting when the bottle was snatched from his grip by Coyote. "Shouldn't they be back by now with news as to where our wives have been taken?"

"I have to believe that since they have not returned, it's because they're onto something, like maybe they're following them, and can't come back yet. Be patient," he muttered, not even noticing the burn of the liquid as it flowed down his throat. He knew those two would come through in finding Yumiko and the others. Ichigo and Uryū had been chosen by him with the conviction that they would find her because they _almost_ cared about her as much as he did. Considering the feelings of the romantic past that intertwined the three, and still held them together even now as friends, he knew that was a bold assumption.

...

"Dammit!" Ichigo yelled, wanting to punch the nearby tree in frustration. The tracks through the forest had led to a well-traveled dirt road. There were so many carriage and cart paths cut into the dirt in both directions it was impossible to tell which was theirs.

"Shut up a minute! I'm thinking!" Uryū shouted impatiently, studying the width of the ruts in the road.

"What are you doing? We've lost them," his companion moaned like a whining child before plopping down on his butt in the tall grass.

"I'm comparing these wheel marks. The royal carriages have a wider axle base than those of others and definitely more so than carts. Just hold on," he mumbled, walking while looking at the many sets of lines.

_I know he's talking but all I hear is blah, blah, blah_, Ichigo thought to himself, holding his head in his hands as he tried to formulate a plan as to what to do next.

"Do you think he would be so brazen as to take them to his castle in the North?" the black-haired man inquired, almost to himself when he observed an unusual set of ruts that went North. They stood out from the rest because they were on the outer edges of all of the others, taking up the road almost from one edge to the other. Plus horse hoof prints followed along both sides of the wheel path that led North from where the other trail had ended in the grass.

"Why the hell not? It would fit in with his typical method of operation. Who would ever think to look there because it would be too obvious, right?" his friend reasoned following his line of thought.

"Exactly," the archer rejoined, pushing his thin framed glasses up his nose.

"That's it! We've got to get to tell, Coyote!"

~\..'../~

Yumiko awoke slowly as if she were coming out of a deep stupor, probably due to the forced loss of consciousness by Szayelaporro. Damp coldness pressed against her cheek, and she struggled to open her eyes to take in her surroundings. It was dark with only a minimal amount of light streaming in from a small window near the ceiling. Groaning as pain rocketed through her body when she tried to move, she bit her lower lip and forced herself to a sitting position by placing her hands against the wet floor and pushing up. Glancing around, she felt like crying when she realized she was in a dungeon cell.

"Yumiko?" a soft voice called somewhere from the right.

"Orihime?" Grunting with discomfort, she got to her feet to stumble in the direction from which the voice had come.

"It's me. He took Tier," she sniffled, blowing her nose loudly into the handkerchief she always kept hidden in her generous cleavage. She was prone to bouts of tears at any given time and any given reason - or no reason at all. Any occasion was a good occasion for tears in Orihime's world. Happiness, sadness, mind numbing terror...it all required a healthy dose of crying and snot.

Yumiko was thankful for the dim light so the tender-hearted carrot top could not see her shrink back in disgust from the sound of another honk from her nose. She moved closer to the bars while her eyes began to adjust to the low light offered by the torches mounted into the wall outside of their cells. Reaching through the bars toward the silhouette of the woman, she took the trembling hand that was offered to her and held it. Asking the question of who had taken Tier had been unneeded. She knew it had to be the pink haired freak who seemed to enjoy hurting women. Perhaps he was just a sadist through and through and did not care who he tortured, and they were only his latest victims.

"She offered herself to protect you," Orihime added, inadvertently heaping on guilt in addition to the fear that was already attempting to grow.

Yumiko bit her lip to refrain from uttering the words 'thanks for nothing, Princess,' but she knew that the woman had a tendency to speak before thinking through the full impact her words might have on someone. She tightened her grip on the woman's hand until she whispered a pained "Ow!" Despite their present predicament, it still pissed her off greatly. The anger pushed aside the fear which might be a positive thing at the moment because she could think. Releasing Orihime's hand, she stood up on the bench that was positioned underneath the window in hopes it would allow her to peek outside. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and she was left with several inches of brick wall between her line of sight and the window.

"Dammit," she muttered, hopping tentatively to see if the bench could hold her weight. Jumping a little higher, she grabbed the bars and shoved the toes of her boots in a crevice between the unevenly fit together stones that comprised the wall.

"You look like a little sticky frog!" Orihime exclaimed, giggling a little.

"So glad I can amuse you," Yumiko grumbled, surveying the view quickly as her biceps began to burn and tremble from holding up her body. She could see into the back courtyard of what must be the castle grounds. Judging by the fact that a woman was plucking the feathers from a dead chicken while others washed vegetables that had been gathered from the garden, she guessed they must be at the back of the castle below where the kitchen was located. At night this area would be deserted when everyone was in bed. But how to get out of here was the real dilemma.

The creak of the rusty hinges on her dungeon prison door caught her attention. Whirling around, Yumiko was confronted by the blonde Granz brother. Yylfordt seized her by the throat slamming her head against the bars behind her. She cried out as a bolt of searing pain sliced through her brain and her ears began to ring.

"Don't hurt her!" Orihime screamed, shoving her grasping hands through the bars as if she could reach the man. What would she do if she could get her hands on him?

"Or you'll what?" he sneered at the orange haired woman who was tearing up again. "Don't cry," he purred, reaching through the bars to stroke her cheek. "You're next."

The man's evil laugh was cut short and pierced with a shrieking cry ejected from his throat when Yumiko kicked him as hard as she could between his legs with her booted foot. She hoped he would have to clear his throat from now on before he could ejaculate. When she felt his fingers slacken their grip on her throat, she took the opportunity presented by his wounded state to shove him aside and run out of the cell.

"I'll be back for you. I promise," she told Orihime, stopping by the front of her cell. Reaching through the bars, she took the frightened woman's hand to offer her reassurance.

"I believe you. Just go. Go!" the woman yelled, squeezing her hand briefly before letting go.

Yumiko quickly scoped out her surroundings to search for guards or anyone else that might be a hindrance to her escape. She was also searching for a key or anything that would be of assistance later. Seeing none of those things, she ran toward to the stairs that disappeared upwards. Despite not knowing where they led or where she would end up, she knew it was away from here and that was enough for her. Taking the steps two at a time, she arrived at the busy and crowded kitchen just like she had prayed she would. All activities of the servants ceased upon seeing her. There she was, stuck in the middle of a frozen crowd, sticking out like a sore thumb in her leather vest and pants.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" a deep very masculine voice ordered her.

Searching the numerous faces for the source of the voice, she was shocked to see a man barely over five feet tall who looked like a teenager purposefully striding toward her. Yumiko would have laughed at his diminutive size had it not been for the fierce expression on his young face and the bloodlust evident in his golden eyes. Shaggy black hair adorned his head and seem to bristle as he moved toward her. Finally realizing she should move, Yumiko side-stepped the person standing next to her before bumping into a young servant girl which caused the child to drop the bowl full of fruit she held.

"I'm sorry. So sorry," she mumbled, keeping her eye on the small but intimidating man closing the gap between them. Turning her back to him, she dodged people who were still too shocked to move as she headed in the direction of the open kitchen door. "NO!" she screamed, halting when the door was slammed closed. The weird and fear inducing fox faced man with silver hair confronted her, snatching her toward him after securing a hold on her upper arm with his bony but strong fingers.

"Give her to me, Gin," the younger man commanded the King's advisor.

Yumiko instantly swung her curious gaze to the man waiting for his reaction. She shivered when his grin widened, and he pulled her closer to him.

"Who are you to be giving me orders, Vega?" he demanded in a lilting, almost carefree voice, that had an underlying firmness communicating a threat. "I am the King's advisor, both former and present. You are the Captain of the guards. I give you orders in case you've forgotten."

Yumiko flinched when the man reached around her to exact punishment in the form a demeaning slap across the cheek to the insubordinate soldier.

"Leave her to me. Get out," he ordered the humiliated Captain who glowered at him with unmasked loathing. Waiting for the man's retreat, he then turned his attention to the woman he held a little too closely.

Yumiko swallowed, releasing the breath she had been holding in a noisy exhale when he backed away from her. She contemplated what would happen now as he looked at her; or she assumed he was looking at her through the narrow slits that comprised his eyes.

"Well, well, so spirited, so stubborn," he said, never losing his grin or raising his voice in annoyance. "You almost made it, my dear. You were so very close. Only a few more steps and you would have gained your freedom. And at what cost?"

Yumiko raised her eyes to meet his, wishing she could see his irises and glare into them with all of the hatred boiling within her. She already knew where he was going with this because she had been sent on one guilt trip today. Sighing noisily, she mentally packed her bags for the next journey of remorse she was about to embark upon.

"You were willing to betray your friends and leave them behind," he murmured, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "If only Sōsuke knew what evil lurked within you, it would make him so happy. You're different from the other two."

Yumiko chewed the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from unleashing a string of obscenities or to tell him that she had planned to come back. If she was able to escape at a later time, she certainly did not want him to know of her intentions to return to free her sisters by marriage. She jerked her arm out of his grip, turning on her heel to return to her prison cell. There was no use to attempt any further escapes today. However, tomorrow would be a different story.

Gin watched her walk away hoping that the hard headed woman did not do something to get herself killed. He was fascinated by her. She also confused him. Rather than tearfully caving in like the orange headed wife or using sexual wiles in a misguided attempt to manipulate her kidnappers like the other, she did not give in either emotionally or physically. Her willingness to return to her cell on her own had completely baffled him. Along with curiosity, she had aroused something inside of him that he had not felt for anyone in a long time, not even his king. That feeling was respect. Rather than finding a reason to hate her, to stand behind Sōsuke's plans, he was finding a whole new rationale for liking her and wanting to help her. His leering grin nearly split his face in half when he thought to himself how displeased his King would be if he knew about these treasonous thoughts. He had grown tired of the spoiled, self-seeking brat Sōsuke had become over the last few years. The final straw had come when he had been forced to witness the murder of the King he had served for so many years. How much easier would it be for the present king to take his life? Maybe it was petty, but whatever his motivation, he was beginning to move to the other side of things. That woman who had just willingly incarcerated herself would be a key player in helping him bring down the man who had become a burr in his backside.


	17. Chapter 17

A big thanks to my beta, xfang-girlx, for going over this chapter for me.

* * *

Yumiko had mercifully slipped into sleep sometime before sunrise. It was a restless and troubled sleep, but a respite from her waking nightmare all the same. She was awakened by the pitiful moans of Tier who was cruelly thrown onto the bench in her cell by two large guards who were escorted by their height challenged captain. Immediately she was brought to a state of alarmed alertness when she saw the condition of the woman. Rushing to the bars that joined their cells, she attempted to reach the injured woman to get a better look at her wounds. Her fingers managed to pull the hair out of Tier's face to reveal the bruises and the busted lip she had received.

"Oh, Tier," she gasped, tears forming in her eyes as the woman groaned in pain. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of Tier's scantily clad body seeing bruises, bite marks, and scratches. What the hell did that man do to her? Shuddering in horror from the possibilities, she was sure she did not want to know.

"Don't feel too much pity for her," the golden eyed monster called Vega said to her, glaring at her through the bars. A lecherous grin turned his lips upward before he added, "She enjoyed every minute of it."

"Sick bastard...you're disgusting," she snarled at him, allowing her upper lip to peel back from her teeth to show her disdain.

"You're next, Princess," he warned her, leering at her savagely while one of the guards unlocked her cell.

Yumiko pulled back her hands and stood to face Vega as he walked into the cell. Just as she raised her fists to confront him, more than willing to engage him in a physical altercation, she was startled to see Gin appear behind the short man. Dropping her fists, for once she was relieved to see the man with the permanent peculiar grin. At this point, she was sure she had far less to fear from him than she did Vega or the pink haired man who waited for her.

"Vega," Gin stated calmly, his smile broadening when the little man almost jumped clear out of skin before whirling around to face him.

"What do you want?" Vega demanded, his round eyes narrowing to slits like the man who was grinning at him with a serene expression.

Yumiko could not help but smile at the way the silver-haired man remained completely unfazed by the irate Captain with short man syndrome to the highest degree.

"I want you to leave. The Princess of the East Kingdom will not be going with _you. _She will be coming with _me_," Gin spoke placidly, holding out his hand for her.

Yumiko willingly placed her hand in his eerily cool palm. How did this man remain so unaffected no matter how irritating the person he was dealing with at the time? Years of practice she guessed after being King Baraggan's Advisor all the while dealing with Sōsuke. Practice truly had made perfect in this man's ability to handle some of the world's most annoying assholes. For some reason, she found herself wanting to like him. However, she would withhold allowing any positive feelings to form toward him since he was after all the brown-nosing suck up of her worst enemy. Somewhere deep down inside of her, she wanted to believe there was more to this man.

"You can't do that," Vega growled, grabbing her other hand as Gin tried to pull her past him.

Yumiko immediately snatched her hand away from the Captain, moving closer to the man who was going to keep her safe from him and Szayelaporro. She looked up at him, her eyes searching the face that never showed any expression other than the nondescript smile.

Gin took a deep breath, releasing it noisily before he slowly turned to face the Captain who had terrible short-term memory issues since he was always forgetting his true position in the scheme of things. Releasing her hand, he pushed her behind him protectively.

"Close your eyes," he ordered her, drawing a dagger from the sheath attached to the thick light blue colored belt at his waist.

"What? Why?" she asked, peeking around him.

"Do as I say," he told her, his voice firm and deeper with a more serious tone. "Stay behind me and hold on to me."

Yumiko did as she was told, her body trembling from fear of what was about to happen. She gritted her teeth when she heard Vega speak because the terror was so evident in his voice.

"No...you can't...NOOO!" The plaintive scream was cut off into a gurgling cry.

Yumiko winced when the dull thunk of a body hitting the floor met her ears followed by the low sound of a person exhaling their last breath. Her fingers tightened into the soft fabric of his white suit. She knew Gin had cut the man's throat. Bloodshed was not a new sight to her, but she was thankful to not have to endure it. The small gesture of thoughtfulness was making her consider she might be terribly wrong about this man. She bit her lower lip, keeping her eyes closed when she felt his fingers wrap around her wrist and pull her forward under his arm protectively as he turned his back to what she was sure had to be a gruesome scene.

"Just remember this is what happens to those who don't remember their rank around here. Clean this up," he commanded the other two guards. Feeling her shaking under his arm, he whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. Just hold on to me and I'll lead you out of here."

"Wh-what about the o-others? My-my s-sisters?" she stammered, clasping the hand that covered hers tightly.

"Orihime had turned her back and plugged her ears. Tier was out cold. I will send a nurse to tend to her wounds. Don't worry about them. They will be safe," he assured her, holding her close.

Yumiko was shocked by his answer almost as much as she was by his protective hold on her. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my private quarters."

Oh, damn it to hell. Her eyes flew open wide in shock while her nails dug into his hand.

"Don't worry, Dear. I don't have intentions like that for you. I'm saving you from someone who does. Yumiko that hurts," he murmured patiently, using his other hand to tentatively pull at her fingers.

"Oh, sorry, Gin. Can I call you Gin?" she asked in a rush. After what happened to the insolent Vega, the last thing she wanted to do was offend this man.

"Of course you can. You are a very intelligent woman. You seem to have an innate sense as to which men you can trifle with and which you cannot," he chuckled, leading her with a hand pressed against the small of her back. "I would have enjoyed watching you have a go at Vega, but unfortunately my patience with him had ran out."

Yumiko let go of his hand that she was still holding when he stopped in front of a door. She watched him intently when he reached into the pocket of his pants to retrieve a key to unlock the door. After the heavy wooden door swung open, her eyes skirted around the room that was furnished with a couch and chairs, a low table surrounded by cushions, and many fully stocked bookshelves. She breathed an audible sigh of relief that she was not greeted with the sight of a bed. After reveling in the first bit of solace she had been offered since her abduction, she allowed herself to feel a sense of fascination as she walked into the room to peruse the bookcases. This was like a small corner of the library her father had created for her over the years.

"You like books?" Gin inquired curiously, pleased with this new revelation. He strolled behind her with his hands clasped behind his back while she read the titles from the spines.

"No," she answered abruptly, glancing behind her to offer him a smile. "I love books."

"I want you to make yourself comfortable here then. This can be your room," he offered, walking away from her to sit down on the couch.

"Where will I sleep?" she questioned, disappearing behind the shelf not only to check out the books but to get a better look at her surroundings.

"With me naturally," he answered with complete confidence, stretching out his lengthy arms and legs until he almost covered the couch from end to end while in a sitting position.

"WHERE?!" Yumiko shrieked from behind the bookcase before peeking around at him. She was further caught off guard to see his eyes were open, and he was looking at her. He had the most enchanting blue eyes; a glacial blue color that virtually glowed. "You have eyes. And they're gorgeous," she breathed before she could stop herself. Ducking back behind the bookcase, she wanted to literally kick herself in the butt for her mortifying outburst. She chose to remain hidden from his view while the heat of a dark blush flooded her cheeks.

"You're pretty when you do that," he complimented, appearing at the end of the row in front of her. He propped his elbow on the shelf next to him, casually leaning into her line of view. Using his forefinger beneath her chin, he raised her head so she would have to look him in the eyes. "I won't hurt you. I'll keep my hands to myself. I promise."

Yumiko nervously chewed her lower lip, unable to avoid his hypnotizing gaze. "If you will give me a blanket, I will sleep on the couch in here if it is all the same to you."

"It is not all the same to me, but if that is what you want, suit yourself," he acquiesced, turning his back on her. Casually strolling away, he told her, "I'll call one of the servants to bring us some tea. Pick out a book and you can read as long as you like. If you would like a bath and new clothes, I'll have that taken care of for you as well."

Yumiko felt like running to him and flinging her arms around his neck to thank him. Those things sounded wonderful. Her lips turned down into a fierce scowl. Calling his name, she waited for him to turn to look at her. "I have one request." She swallowed hard when he stared at her with his eyes hidden behind lowered lids. "Can my sisters have the same luxuries? Surely there must some extra rooms in the castle where they can be kept. Even if they are held under lock and key with guards at the door, that would be better than the dungeon. We're queens and princesses...wives of _your _King's sons. We deserve better."

"You are correct. You do," he agreed, opening his eyes while giving her a sincere smile. She was going to be an amazing Queen. Her finesse with people and ability to be diplomatic was truly astounding. He was absolutely enchanted with her aplomb and forthrightness mixed with her confidence. She would far surpass her husband in ruling capabilities. Coyote might do well to keep his mouth shut while being nothing more than a pretty face to back up the woman with power and brains. That thought made him smile even wider. This woman was a great source of amusement to him in many ways. Granting her wishes would give him a wonderful opportunity to enrage Shirayuki. He agreed wholeheartedly with her that Princess Orihime could not be left in the dungeon in her present fragile mental state and Queen Tier needed to be moved somewhere more comfortable and clean because of her now delicate physical condition. Oh, yes, he had all the reasons he needed to grant her selfless request.

~\..'../~

Gin openly watched her as she sat on the couch reading the book she had chosen about torture devices and techniques. He would not have thought such a pretty woman would have such a penchant for blood and violence. If she were not married to Coyote, he would do all he could to make her his own. Instead, he would be forced to make good on his promise to keep his hands to himself. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth when her heavy eyelids drooped, then closed mere seconds before popping back open wide.

"Are you ready for that blanket?" he asked, watching her hide her yawn with a hand over her mouth.

"I suppose I am," she replied, yawning again. "It's been a really long day."

By the time Gin returned with the blanket, Yumiko had fallen asleep. Picking her up bridal style, he made sure to keep her long dress of burgundy silk tucked around her body. He carried her to his bed, carefully lying her down in the middle of the huge soft mattress. Once she was settled in and covered up, he lay down beside her carefully touching her cheek as not to wake her. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to her lips.

"Coyote, I love you," she mumbled in her sleep. She rolled away from him, sinking deeper into sleep as she burrowed into the covers and mattress.

"I know you love him," he murmured, stroking her hair and kissing her on the cheek. "I'll do all I can to make sure you get back to him."

~\..'../~

Coyote paced his bedroom, feeling hopelessly trapped. He knew where his wife was being held but was unable to leave to retrieve her. It would be a rash and stupid move to rush to her and would most likely put her life in danger. He was incensed that his brother was not making any preparations to return to his kingdom in the North. Him and his brothers were being held prisoner here just as much as their wives were in the northern castle. His anxious steps halted when the door to his room opened and his brother Grimmjow appeared. Catching the black hooded cloak that was thrown at him, he stared his brother quizzically.

"Go. Take Ichigo and Uryū to get our wives back," Grimmjow basically ordered his brother.

"What are you talking about? I can't leave," he shot back, his voice carrying the distinct sound of defeat.

"You can and you will," his brother said, gathering Yumiko's bow and arrow to give to him as well. "Your wife will need these to help save all of your asses. Just promise you'll all come back alive."

Coyote took the bow and quiver from his brother gaping at him while the man gave him a shaky grin. He was just about to protest again when Grimmjow began speaking again.

"Ulquiorra and I have already discussed with Ichigo and Uryū. We came up with the plan. No one will miss their presence just like before when they tracked the carriage. Since we'll both still be here, it will be easy for us to cover for you. Now go. Prove to us that we have not misplaced our trust in you."

Coyote simply nodded without offering a word in response. He was afraid if he said anything, his voice would betray his emotions. Pulling on the cloak, he swung the bow and quiver over his shoulders next. Years of practice spent sneaking out of the castle would finally be put to a positive use. Hopping up on the window sill, he carefully lowered himself down while hanging onto the edge. Using the uneven stones to find hand and footholds, he scrabbled down the outer wall to reach the ground below safely.

Grimmjow watched as his brother, a mere shadow, raced across the courtyard to the barn to retrieve his horse. Listening closely, he heard the snorting of the horse and the low jingle of reins as Coyote disappeared into the night. Leaning against the windowsill, he freed the breath he had been holding. Never before had he ensured so much to his brother's keeping. The life of his wife, his own life, and his very kingdom were dependent on the success of just a few people. But all of those people stood to lose everything as well - including their lives.


	18. Chapter 18

Thank you so much to all of you reviewers! I know the updates are slow in coming but I work on it when I can. I am grateful to my beta xfang-girlx who looked over this chapter for me. She also prompted me to write a better ending to this chapter so I hope you all like it!

* * *

Yumiko awoke from a pleasant slumber instantly coming to a frightened wakefulness when she realized she was in a bed instead of on the couch. She was sick of these shocking wake up calls. Blowing out a loud breath, she was thankful she was alone in the bed. Little did she know her bedmate had only recently vacated the bed to go get their breakfast. Once she had enjoyed a luxurious stretch to unwind her sore muscles, she reluctantly left the exceedingly comfortable bed. She poured water from the pitcher on the table next to the bed into the decorative wooden bowl beside it. After splashing a bit on her face, she allowed the water to air dry from her hands and face by going to the window and letting the warm summer breeze flow over her. She had to get out of here, but first she needed to find Tier and Orihime first. Walking into the other room, she jumped when she saw Gin sitting at the table pouring tea for the both of them.

"I thought you would be waking soon," he said, his tranquil voice soothing her raw nerves.

Yumiko bowed slightly and sat down in the chair next to his. She surveyed the tasty looking dishes set on the table before her. Strawberries with cream, fried eggs, freshly baked and toasted bread...she had not seen a spread like this since her wedding day. Her appetite immediately fled upon thinking about her husband. She closed her eyes to hold back the flood of tears that wanted to flow from her eyes. Her eyes opened wide when his smooth cool hand covered hers and squeezed reassuringly.

"I know it's difficult but eat," he encouraged her, letting go of her hand to fix her a plate. "You need your strength. You will see your husband again soon."

"How do you know that?" she sniffed, still fighting the tears that burned her eyes. Nausea filled her when he set the plate of food in front of her.

Gin saw her sickened expression and picked up a strawberry instead. Touching it to her lips, he prompted her to open her mouth. "I know Coyote," he said confidently, sliding the red fruit between her lips when she opened her mouth finally. He waited until she began chewing to continue speaking. "I know he's never loved anyone like he loves you. He'll come for you."

"Thank you...for everything," she murmured, picking up the fork to poke at her food. "Gin, can I see them? Will you take me to see Tier and Orihime?"

"Eat all of that food and I will," he promised feeling no shame whatsoever for bribing her to eat. He approximated in two days time she would need to be prepared to run for her life. Remembering that she was a skilled archer, he made a mental note to retrieve a bow and quiver of arrows from the armory for her. He sipped his tea and thought while she finished her breakfast.

Yumiko was too lost in her own thoughts to consider what might be going on in the head of the man sitting next to her. She did not taste the food as she ate it, forcing herself to go through the motions to nourish her body. The handsome but evil face of Sōsuke formed in her mind causing her to feel even more nauseated.

"Don't think about him. Stay calm," Gin told her, visibly flinching at her caustic gaze.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled, throwing her napkin down on the table as she stood up. Going to the window, she inhaled the fresh air to rid herself of the sick feeling.

"Stop doing what?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. He felt her body tense but he held onto her, pressing his fingers and thumbs into the muscles that felt like ropes under her skin.

"It's like you're reading my thoughts and it freaks me out." She relaxed a bit, leaning back against him.

"I'm not reading your thoughts," he assured her, massaging her shoulders. "I can tell what you're thinking by the expression on your face. Never play poker, sweet Yumiko, you'd lose everything."

Yumiko could not help but chuckle a bit from his advice. She never had been a gambling person and had never played any kind of card game much less poker. Groaning with satisfaction from the ministrations from his strong hands, she had to remind herself to straighten up and not lower her guard so easily around him.

Gin removed his hands and backed away from her. He could feel that she had closed herself off to him and did not want to push her. Gaining her trust was what he strived for at the moment. "I'll take you to see the others."

Yumiko followed him as he led her down the hall. She paid attention to everything: the number of steps she was taking, the doors she passed, suits of armor standing at attention in corners or shields bearing the family crest on the wall to memorize her path. At last, they came to a door at the end of the hall on the second floor of the castle. If she had to guess, she would say this room was right below the one he was keeping her in on the third floor. She studied his every move as he reached into his pocket to retrieve the key noting he only carried a single key which must be a skeleton key that fit every door.

"You have ten minutes then you must return to your room," he advised her choosing to stay in the hall to keep watch.

Yumiko nodded, rushing past him into the room. Glancing around, she took note of the furnishings and their placement. Two beds complete with filmy white canopies and curtains sat on opposite sides of the room. There was a table and two chairs in the middle placed in front of the one large window that was open at this time where the two women stood staring longingly outside. They did not bother to turn around when the door opened thinking it was simply a servant coming to retrieve their breakfast trays.

"Tier? Orihime?" she called, jumping back when the women whirled around wearing startled expressions on their faces.

"Yumiko!" Orihime cried out, running to her.

Yumiko grunted when the woman hit her full force with an assault hug almost knocking her down. She returned the woman's warm hug, thankful she was okay and nothing had happened to her. When Orihime finally released her after the teary reunion, she received a shocking welcome from Tier who also gave her a bone crushing embrace.

"I'm so glad that crazy fool didn't get his hands on you," Tier said referring to Szayelaporro.

"No. A different crazy fool got hold of Yumiko. It was Gin," Orihime announced with a joyous expression as if she had done something helpful.

"Is she serious?" the big busted blonde asked, her green eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Yes, little miss big mouth is telling the truth. It's not like _that_," she insisted, ignoring the lascivious grin on the blonde's face.

"Don't trust him, Yumiko. He's always served the crown loyally," Orihime warned her.

_But you don't know him like I do_, she considered countering before pondering how well she really knew him. Instead she focused what little time she had on making sure they were all right and trying to assure them things would be just fine. How they would be okay she did not know, but they just had to be.

"Yumiko, let's go," Gin said, leaning into the room.

"I'll get us out of here. Don't worry," she told Orihime, giving her a comforting hug since she looked ready to dissolve into tears.

"Don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed. Grimmjow would never forgive me," Tier whispered in her ear during their embrace. Both women laughed lightly.

"Now!" Gin hissed, waving her to the door. He touched his fingers to his forehead above his eyebrow in salute to them before he swept their sister away. "Ladies, I'll take good care of her."

"I wonder what he meant by that," Tier mumbled, receiving an elbow to the ribs from Orihime.

"Tier! Shame on you," the carrot top reprimanded her.

"Well...you never know..."

~...~

It was her third day of royal captivity although sometimes Yumiko was hard pressed to remember she was being held against her will as she was lavished with rich food, good books, and the attention of an enchanting companion. The times she hated the most was when her heart ached for Coyote. One of those times was now. She stared out of the window sighing wistfully. Thinking her imagination had invaded reality, she watched the black horse run into the middle of the courtyard as it's rider flung off his cape revealing her beloved husband.

"No, it can't be," she gasped, rubbing her eyes.

"Yumiko, he's here!" Gin yelled when he ran into the room.

"He really is here," she mumbled in disbelief. She watched as two more riders joined him, one brandishing a sword and the other shooting an oncoming soldier with his crossbow. The Calvary had arrived.

Gin rushed forward to the stunned woman who did not seem to be comprehending the situation. He shoved the bow and arrows into her hands, wrapping the rope looped over his arm around her waist. Tying the other end around the thick base of the pedestal table, he wrapped the excess around her arm. He hoped he had calculated the distance to the window below exactly right. If he was an inch or two off, she could hit the wall and hurt herself.

"It's time for you to leave," he informed her, ignoring her puzzled expression. "Hit me."

"What?" she asked, thoroughly confused at this point.

"You like me right? You don't want Sōsuke to kill me do you?"

"Well, no but - "

"HIT ME!" he shouted in her face, growing impatient when she hesitated. Risking pissing her off and receiving a merciless beating, he pressed his hand to her breast before stealing a kiss from her lips.

"Gin, what the hell are you doing?!" she shrieked, unleashing a furious upper cut that lifted him off his feet and knocked him out cold. Glaring at the unconscious man lying on the floor, she muttered, "Idiot."

Then understanding dawned on her. Yumiko knew his reason for provoking her wrath. If she knocked him unconscious, he would seem like a victim to her escape therefore not receiving a death penalty from the King for being a traitor. Kneeling down beside him, she gave him a peck on the cheek to say good-bye. Taking a deep, she hopped onto the windowsill and jumped outward in a wide arc while hanging on to the rope securely. She turned herself to aim her swinging body toward the window that opened into Orihime and Tier's room. Successfully swinging through the window, she landed with a roll in a painful heap on the floor just inches from crashing into the sturdy table. The two startled but happy women in the room bombarded her with questions as they helped her to her feet.

"There's no time!" she yelled, untying the rope from around her waist and unwinding it from her arm. She wrapped and tied it around Tier before wrapping a loop around Orihime's waist. "Hold Orihime and jump. You two will have to be careful of that sudden stop at the end and be ready to push away from the wall. I will scale the wall down."

"What?" they questioned her in unison.

"Coyote, Ichigo, and Uryū are here. We have to leave!" she exclaimed in a rush of words. Sitting on the windowsill, she lowered herself over the side to find footholds before letting go to begin climbing downward. She paused when the other women dropped down beside her for a much faster trip to the ground. Looking over the courtyard, she saw the three men who had come to rescue them were surrounded by soldiers which caused her to pick up the pace for her descent. At the moment, their heroes needed rescuing. Orihime's scream from the sudden stop she had been warned about met her ears. With a devilish grin, the thought occurred to her that maybe Tier had lost her grip and dropped the woman that last few feet to the ground because she was sure Gin had gauged the length of rope to stop their fall before they smacked into the unyielding earth. By the time she reached the ground, the other two women had started to run. So far, the soldier's were too intent on capturing the men on horseback to notice them. Yumiko rushed past them, raising the bow to indiscriminately shoot into the throng of soldiers to carve a path to the men who would help them escape.

"Coyote! Coyote!" she screamed, aiming and hitting a soldier who turned to her in the shoulder just above the collarbone. Blood spurted out and sprayed his comrades around him before he hit the ground.

"They're escaping! The women are escaping!" a soldier bellowed. Now all eyes were on them.

Tier seized the sword before his dead body could fall from a soldier Yumiko had just shot in the chest. Orihime picked up his shield to move in front of Yumiko and Tier in an attempt to fend off any stabbing swords or flying arrows. One unlucky soldier received a smack to the face from the shield when he ran at them full force with his sword raised to strike. Tier took out the next attacker by running him through the belly with the sword she wielded.

Yumiko continued to shoot while wondering what was keeping the men from moving toward them. Surely there had to be enough of the soldiers attacking them for a path to be cleared. The sound of pounding hooves preceded the flying bodies of the soldiers as their rescuers used the horses as battering rams to clear the enemy out of the way to get to the women. She lowered her bow when she saw her husband's horse, closing her eyes to wait for the brute impact of his arm encircling her waist as he galloped past at full speed. Her feet left the ground and she was lifted up to laid across the neck of the powerful creature who was snorting and whinnying with an ear bursting shrillness.

"Hang on! It's going to be a rough ride!" he warned her as if she was not already painfully aware.

"It's okay! I've done this before!" she screamed back, remembering the unforeseen ride she had taken with Ichigo on her wedding day. Was this kind of daring escape going to be a reoccurring event in her life? She hoped not.

~...~

They had ridden until darkness fell and prevented them from doing so any further. The men constructed a makeshift camp, using the blankets from their horses for bedding on the ground and their capes for covers. Before going to sleep there was much to do. A fire was made by Ichigo while Uryū and Coyote hunted for their dinner. The women took the horses to a nearby river to give them water and to cool them off.

"That water sure looks inviting," Orihime sighed, kneeling beside the swiftly flowing water to splash in it.

"It feels good too," Tier returned, filling her cupped hands to pour it over her body. She did not care that it soaked her white dress and made it transparent. The dress did not cover much anyway since it tied around her neck and was split to the waist up top and the skirt was slit up both legs to her mid-thigh.

Yumiko noticed their dresses and smiled when she mused that Gin had picked them himself considering their personalities. Hers was sleeveless with a short skirt that hung around her mid-thigh to allow free movement of her arms and legs. Orihime's dress had tight fitting long sleeves down to her wrists and a lengthy flowing skirt that met the ground to cover her completely. Gin had done an excellent job of matching their clothing to them. Her smile immediately turned downwards. She hoped he was all right. Suddenly the night air seemed too still and stifling, not allowing her breath. Sweat broke out over her upper lip and covered her body.

"I can't stand this," she muttered, reaching down to grab her dress and pull it over her head.

"What are you doing?!" Orihime screeched in horror while blushing violently.

"I'm going for a swim. Tier?" she invited, jumping into the freezing cold river.

"Sounds good to me," the blonde rejoined, stripping off her dress and wading elegantly into the frigid water.

Orihime chose to stay near the water's edge, but she did raise her skirt a bit to wade in ankle-deep at least. She screamed when the other two splashed water on her.

Little did they know they were being watched. A certain pink haired psycho with a penchant for violence had followed them without their knowledge. He had stalked his prey all day like any other predator. Now, he sat in the bushes, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike. His golden eyes were fastened to the woman with the black hair. She was the one he had wanted to get his hands on first. However, the busty blonde had so willingly offered herself to him; who was he to turn down such a luscious offer? But his greatest desire had nearly escaped his clutches, and he could not wait much longer. The main reason he wanted her was simply because she belonged to Coyote. He wanted to destroy that man. If it meant he won the praise of the King in the process, all for the better. He slid his fingers along the handle of the sharp dagger sheathed at his waist.

"Soon, my dear, very soon," he whispered to himself as he watched her frolicking naked as the day she was born with her sister-in-law. He allowed himself a smile as he watched her rise out of the water. "I might have a little fun with you before I kill you."

"No, you won't asshole," Ichigo growled, putting his hand over the man's mouth to prevent him from making a noise. He stabbed the dagger he held in his hand into the side of the man's neck careful not to cut his own arm when it pushed through the other side. Lifting his hand, he was no longer worried about the man screaming because he had skewered his voice box. He withdrew the knife to release the artery and sever it completely. Dropping the stunned man on the ground, he walked away to leave him to bleed out and die which would only take a matter of minutes. The women's screams had drawn him here where he found this sick bastard hiding in the bushes nearby. Staying hidden in the thicket growing parallel to the river, he walked down a ways to wash the blood from his hands and to clean his blade. Later he would return to bury the body. At the moment, Yumiko was safe. He was keeping his promise to her father. He would protect her from any harm, always.


	19. Chapter 19

First of all, I am grateful to my beta, xfang-girlx, for finding my typos and offering her true opinion. Second, on with the story...

* * *

Yumiko released her tight grip on her husband's waist as soon as they were through the castle gates. When she saw her father standing on the steps to the front entrance of the castle, she carefully slid from the back of the galloping horse to literally hit the ground running. Rushing up the stairs, she flung herself into his open arms like she did when she was a child.

Coyote pulled the horse to a stop, patting his neck to calm him as the beast pawed the earth beneath his hooves. He watched the beautiful scene of parental love unfolding in front of his eyes. Seeing the child his wife must have been made him smile. For all of her bravery and courageous, sometimes crazy antics, she was still a little girl at heart who only wanted her daddy. Would he have a little girl like that someday? He sure hoped so. Turning the horse to go to the barn, he decided to leave his wife alone for the poignant reunion. His smile grew wider when the thought occurred to him how much she still needed her father but would never EVER admit to it. He had seen the two of them butt heads like stubborn goats time and time again. The problem, and neither one of them seemed to aware of it, was that they were too much alike. He could tell her mother knew it though by the way she would pleasantly smile while her husband and daughter argued loudly and incessantly. What little he knew of his wife's rebellious, stubborn nature, he could not imagine what hell she had put her father through all these years. He was not afraid of having a daughter just like her. If his daughter loved him like Yumiko did her father, it would all be worth it.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Yumiko cried, tears flowing down her face while she clung to the man as if she had reverted to being five years old.

Byakuya allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks unchecked. His daughter was safe and home once more. It had never crossed his mind that he would never see her again after learning of her kidnapping; mostly because it was too horrifying to consider and also because he knew his son-in-law would never allow anything to happen to Yumiko. Messengers had been sent to him at the same time Ichigo and Uryū had ridden out to join Coyote on the quest to save the women. He had not slept well in the passing days while waiting for further information. Just when he thought his sanity would forsake him, she arrived back home to hurl herself into his arms without a single scratch on her.

On the way back through the Central Kingdom, they had sent a child from the neighboring village to the castle to inform Grimmjow and Ulquiorra that their wives had been liberated and were on the way to the East Kingdom. It had been agreed beforehand that they would flee there, to take shelter while making a plan to handle the battle that would be coming their way. There was no turning back now. Sōsuke had failed miserably in his desire to make one of them the instigator of the upheaval but he had succeeded in bringing about the war he wanted. The man did not take failure very well and would be coming at them with everything he had once he discovered their whereabouts. They would make sure they were ready.

Yumiko let go of her father to greet her tearful mother who delicately dabbed at her large amethyst eyes with the frilly handkerchief she held. She wrapped her arms around the woman who was much shorter than her, inadvertently lifting her from the ground while they both shed quiet tears of relief and joy. Once she and her mother had regained some modicum of composure, she stopped in front of her stoic sister who was scowling fiercely at her.

"How dare you?" Rukia demanded, slapping her sister's face.

"Rukia!" Hisana gasped in horror, holding her fingers to her lips.

Yumiko pressed her hand over her stinging cheek, staring in gape mouthed shock at her irate sister. Before she could gather her befuddled senses, she was assaulted with a breath stealing embrace while her sister wailed into her chest. She gingerly patted her usually stoic sister who was sobbing out her heart. Glancing at her parents who both shrugged, she struggled to grasp what was going on with her affectless sibling who was having an emotional breakdown.

"How dare you make me worry like that?!" Rukia screamed, beating her sister's back with her fists. "In all these years, haven't you found better ways of getting attention? I mean, really Yumiko! Getting yourself kidnapped? The nerve of you!"

"Oh, Rukia, damn you! Just say you love me!" Yumiko laughed, holding her sister tightly while they both sobbed like little girls.

"I love you, you idiot! You attention hogging, Daddy's girl!" she screeched releasing some sibling angst in addition to her love for her sister.

The men surrounding them stood dazed and confused while looking upon the ridiculous scene that made absolutely no sense to them. The things of women never made sense to them and for some reason it never got any easier to decipher them. Hisana only smiled her secretive smile because she knew actually what lay in a woman's heart and understood the conflicting emotions and actions perfectly.

~...~

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had arrived just before dinner only being a few hours behind them after receiving the message. They had immediately left their brother's castle without even bothering to gather their belongings. Grabbing the child who had delivered the much awaited news, they had taken him back home to his grateful mother before continuing on their way to the East Kingdom to be with their family, at least the part of it they really cared about, again. Wine and conversation had flowed like rivers, each person choosing to avoid talk of the kidnapping or war strategies. The terrible abduction incident was over and the planning would be in the forefront of their minds for the next several weeks. Tonight was a night for celebration and gratitude that they were together once again and no one had been hurt. After dinner, everyone retired to their assigned rooms.

Yumiko had chosen to sleep in her old room instead of going to the smaller castle that had been built just for them on the back of the extensive royal grounds. She was grateful her father understood their need for a home of their own but tonight she wanted to be close to those she loved. Walking around her room, she studied the intricate tapestries her mother had struggled with her so about sewing. She smiled with the memory that her sweet gentle mother had even gone as far as tying her to a chair once to make her do her needlework. Sighing wistfully with the memories, she chewed her lower lip when she remembered it was just after that incident that her mother gave up in her attempt to make her a 'proper' lady. Her mother had finally chosen to see her and accept her for what she was: a tomboy who loved archery and horses over sewing and tea parties. A smile graced her lips when she thought about her father's reaction to her today. It seemed like after all these years, after all of the arguments and fighting between them, he had accepted her too - and he was proud.

"Koko?" Coyote called so he would not startle her. He could tell she was completely lost in thought. He put his hand on her neck, turning her to face him. Pulling her toward him, he molded his body to hers while encircling her shoulders with his arms.

"Coyote," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. It felt good to be in his arms after so long, to have his body next to hers. She held the ardent gaze of grayish blue eyes when he leaned back to look at her.

"I love you," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers briefly.

"I love you too," she rejoined, standing on her tiptoes to reach his lips. She sighed when his hand pressed against her breast and squeezed. It had been a while since he had taken her like a husband should. She inhaled sharply when he pushed her against the tapestry while pressing his lips insistently against hers. "Here? Like this?"

"Why not?" Coyote asked, pulling up her long skirt. He had preferred the short dress she had been wearing but since they were around her parents she had changed into something more princess like after her bath earlier.

Yumiko cried out when he roughly pushed his hand between her thighs and thrust his fingers into her. Her hands moved to his pants to pull out his erect and pulsating member. She shoved his hand away from her body to have him inside of her instead. Her long legs enclosed his waist, and he pushed her harder into the wall to hold her up. She could feel the bumpy edges of the stones against her back but the thick tapestry afforded some comfort to her. Her fingers grasped at his shoulders as he shoved himself into her with an almost desperate abandonment. She wanted him with the same encompassing need. Claiming his mouth to stifle her moans, she invaded his mouth with her tongue to seek his more compliant tongue while he asserted his dominion over her body. It did not take long for both of them to climax at this frantic pace of pure animal sex. She kissed him while their bodies quaked in ecstasy as they held onto each other. Her body slipped down the wall as his knees weakened and gradually brought them to the floor.

Coyote kissed her gently, unlacing the top of her dress. His tongue lazily probed her mouth, tasting and teasing while he bared her breasts so he could touch them. His moan melded with hers as he carefully groped her firm breasts to arouse her again. This time he made love to her on the plush rug covering the floor beneath them in an unhurried manner, refusing to rush no matter how much his body wanted to speed up. Taking his time to fully please her, enjoying every lengthy luxurious stroke into her fantastic body, the orgasm built between them to explode simultaneously to leave them devastated in each others arms. Eventually, they worked their way to the bed, where they collapsed breathless and spent to fall asleep locked in a loving embrace.

~...~

The next morning, breakfast was a late event that occurred closer to noon. The meal was a quiet, subdued affair full of furtive, flirty glances punctuated by the occasional giggle of a blushing wife. The King glanced around at each glowing face growing more and more uncomfortable with the knowledge of what had transpired between each couple. His wife seemed mildly amused by the whole thing allowing nothing more than her tranquil grin to betray the fact she knew what was happening or rather had happened. There was the distinct possibility a few royal babies could be birthed nine months from now after these touching reunions between husbands and wives. Sighing deeply, which sounded like a roar in the comfortable silence surrounding them, the King decided war planning could wait one more day.

~\0/~

Yumiko followed Ichigo out of her father's study. Her curiosity would no longer let her allow him to ignore and avoid her. She wanted to know what was going on. Quickening her pace, she had to almost run to catch up with him as he stormed out of the castle to separate himself from everyone again.

"I want to be alone, Yumiko. Go away," the angry orange haired man virtually growled at her without turning around.

"You're always alone, Ichigo. You haven't said more than three words to me since we've returned and two of those words were your highness," she rejoined, pulling up her dress to avoid tripping on it. She barely dodged a hole but promptly dropped into another one hidden by the tall grass. Falling to the ground, she cried out as pain radiated through her ankle. "Ichigo, stop! Don't run away from me."

Yumiko could his hear his audible and annoyed sigh when he halted immediately before whirling around to glare at her. She blinked to avoid shedding the tears that burned her eyes. Her ankle hurt, and she hoped she had not twisted it chasing after his dumb, stubborn ass. She needed to be ready to ride into battle. Little did her husband or father (or any of the men in her life) know but she had secretly commissioned the blacksmith to make of suit of armor for her. Her sisters had done the same thing as well. They had ridden into the village together to seek out the services of the tall, barrel chested blacksmith who had a scarred face and eye patch over one eye. The mountain of a man with a flinty, rock hard face to match had managed to crack a smile and seemed to enjoy himself while he measured the women's breasts in turn to be able to mold the metal to accommodate them. He had offered to make the breast plates for free if they would stick around for sizing and resizing. The wives had digressed, bidding him good day and wishing him good luck to do the best job he could with the measurements he had taken.

"Did you do something stupid like break your leg?" Ichigo rudely demanded, snatching the boot off of her foot. He winced when she screamed in pain from the harsh movement. Placing her foot on his knee as he knelt in front of her, he carefully and much more gently examined her ankle that was beginning to swell. Palpating the ever-increasing flesh while tentatively rotating it, he could tell she had not broken anything but she had definitely sprained something. "You can be so stubborn and annoying sometimes. You're a real A-number one pain in the ass, Koko."

"Takes one to know one," she spat out, continuing the adolescent hijinks by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Good god," he muttered, ripping off the sleeve of his loose white shirt to use as a bandage to wrap around her ankle to keep it immobile. "And to think you're the next Queen."

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, seeing through his attack as a diversion to infuriate her and distract her from addressing the real problem. She flinched when a white-hot pain rocketed through her ankle and up her leg as he tightly wrapped it.

"Nothing," he lied, not caring how transparent his lie had been.

"Ichigo, please," she begged, leaning forward to place her hand over his heart. "What happened? Something happened on the trip home. Tell me."

Yumiko watched with mounting dread as tears gathered and shimmered in the corners of his eyes. She pressed her forefinger against his face to catch one of the silvery droplets as it coursed down his cheek. Pushing back her own fear and sense of alarm from his uncharacteristic emotional display, she scooted across the ground to enclose his waist with her arms. Grass stains be damned; he needed her. The last time she had seen him like this was the night she had broken the news to him about the forced betrothal. That was all history now and had turned out much differently than any of them had imagined. She hoped whatever this was would pass just as easily with positive results. By the way he clung to her, she somehow doubted it be so simple or work itself out this time.

Ichigo had injured men and even killed men before in self-defense but never had he preyed upon one to purposely murder him. This bothered him more than he had imagined it would. He had done it for her; to keep her safe and to prevent her death. She did not even know what he had done for her. Accolades were not his motivation, but he did need understanding while unburdening his heart from the guilt. He was supposed to be a doctor who preserves life and a soldier who protects it; not a cold-blooded killer who purposely sets out to destroy life.

"Koko, I'd do anything for you. I promised you I would keep you safe at all costs. I would live for you. I would die for you." He paused, looking into her dark gray eyes. "I would...I have...killed for you."

"What?" she gasped, searching his troubled brown eyes. It was a simple concept but her mind was not grasping it. What did he mean?

"Just know that I love you and I always will. Never let any sacrifice I make for you, even if it's a part of my humanity, to be in vain," he pleaded, holding her gaze with an intense fierceness he knew she could not look away from. "Promise me."

Yumiko's mouth dropped open in a silent cry of pain from his fingers digging into her upper arms. She could only nod as she looked into his hurt filled eyes wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Her lips had just closed when he pulled her forward to crush his mouth to hers. The kiss was hard and desperate, conveying a distinct brokenheartedness that begged to be comforted. Tears slid down her cheeks and mingled with his as the seeking kiss continued but never discovered what it was searching for. Pulling her mouth from his, she buried her face in the loose folds of his cotton shirt and cried. She wailed and expressed the torment he could not while he held her and rocked her. When her doleful cries lowered to pathetic sniffling whimpers, she listened intently as he whispered in her ear what he had done to Szayelaporro Granz. By the end of his confession, she was howling again to release her own guilt.

Ichigo had not meant to hurt her, to add to her suffering. He had been selfish. He knew by telling her his horrible secret it would be one more way to link her to himself emotionally for the rest of her life. People did stupid things sometimes to preserve the love they held for someone dear to them, even risking hurting that person to keep them close.

Uryū stood behind the tree, listening to her powerful sobs of mourning. Willing himself not to the lift his bow, he kept his arms stiff at his sides. He wanted to kill Ichigo at this time because of what he was doing. It was unfair and just plain cruel.


	20. Chapter 20

As always, have to give credit to my girl, xfang-girlx, for being such a fantastic beta. Thanks for your honest opinions in addition to finding my mistakes.

I also would like to express my gratitude to all of my readers and reviewers! Thanks so much all of you!

* * *

Coyote barreled into the barracks in a way that made it apparent he was a man on a mission. The unexpected arrival of the royal family member sent the startled soldiers scrambling out of their beds and chairs to stand at attention only to go completely unnoticed by the irate man as he stomped through the long rectangular building. His eyes were fixed on the closed door of the General's Quarters at the end of the building. The door tentatively opened as he made his way to it. Pressing his hand against the chest of the stunned orange haired man, he pushed him back into the room to have a private talk with him.

Ichigo craned his neck to see around Coyote who was standing directly in front of him. He glowered hatefully at Uryū who withstood the withering glare because the archer had been subjected to far too many stinging glances of his to be bothered. His eyebrows drew together over his nose when the dark-haired man calmly pushed up his glasses with his middle finger while allowing a smirk to tilt one corner of his lips. Anger seethed within him when Uryū's expression instantly changed from confident to smug.

"What the hell did you do? Tell on me to Dad?" Ichigo demanded, snorting derisively.

"Worse. I told her husband," he responded sounding very haughty. "I only told him what he needed to know. I don't like what you did to Yumiko. You were angry with her for what you did then lay your guilt trip on her. She's got enough on her mind already without you adding to it. You could have come to me or Coyote for help. Not her."

"What?" he breathed in return to the honest response, unable to believe his ears. He moved around Coyote with lightning fast speed before either man could react. Grabbing Uryū by the lapels of his leather jacket, he lifted him off the ground before slamming him to the floor. Uryū leg swept the well-trained soldier, who was not expecting such a move from the archer, to bring him down to the floor with him. Rolling on top of him, he seized handfuls of the man's shirt to lift him a few inches to commence banging his opponent's head on the time-worn wooden boards of the floor. After doling out a few punishing blows to the General's skull, he received a swift and excruciating uppercut that sent him sprawling onto his back. He delivered a right hook then swiftly followed it up with a left jab to Ichigo's face to keep him from getting a good hold on him while the man hovered over him.

"Bastard!" Ichigo yelled, his fingers wrapping around the thin delicate neck of the raven haired man whose chest he straddled.

"Idiot," Uryū spat out, giving the man throttling him another punch to the face.

"FOOLS!" Coyote bellowed, grabbing Ichigo by the collar to pull him off of the other man. "Stop it, kids! I came here to discuss this like adults!"

He dropped the indignant General to his feet before reaching down to offer a hand to Uryū. Once both men were on their feet and he was positioned between them, he dusted off his long white coat; more so to remove the oppressive negative attitude polluting the air than to brush off real dirt. Indulging in a bit of juvenile behavior of his own, he gave in to the desire to slap the both of them across the back of the head. He did so with great gusto, backing out of the way just in time for them to butt heads before he reinserted himself to keep them separated.

"OW!" they howled in unison, rubbing their sore and aching foreheads.

"Sit down you two morons," Coyote ordered them. He chose to stand while the other two sat in chairs in front of him. "Yes, Uryū informed me of the little interaction that occurred between you and my wife. He is worried about her. How dare you burden her with your guilt? You're a soldier for God's sake, and not just any soldier, the General of the damn army. Suck it up and be a man."

"She ran after me! I didn't seek her out," Ichigo returned hotly, scowling at the equally irritated Coyote.

"You were angry with her and she wanted to know why. But that's not the point! Don't worry, I'll deal with her too," he said, turning to pace an invisible line in front of the men. "You're pushing the boundaries of your relationship with her. You always have. We've all let the line between our relationships and our positions become far too blurred. I'm here to redraw that line. She's no longer your childhood friend in whom you can confide everything. She is the Princess, soon to be Queen..._your_ Queen to serve and protect like you took an oath to do. She is about to be leading her Kingdom through a war. And she's also my wife."

"I'm very much aware of those facts...especially the last one," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. He did not care that he had just committed two acts of insubordination against the soon to be King.

"That almost didn't happen thanks to you," Coyote irritably reminded him, allowing himself a long vicious look at the man who was pouting like a child. "She was doing what a good leader does, pushing aside her feelings and marrying me anyway to ensure the safety of her Kingdom. Somewhere along the way, we fell in love."

Ichigo swallowed convulsively to push back the wave of nausea that nearly overwhelmed him. He did not want to hear any of this. Unfortunately, sometimes the things that need to be heard the most are the ones that hurt the deepest. Staring at the floor, he avoided the penetrating gaze of the husband who was defending his wife, a King defending his Queen. Regretfully, he had to admit to himself that Coyote was right. He should not have burdened her with his crushing sense of guilt. Too late he was realizing that when she had cried, she had cried _for _him, not _with _him. She was already dealing with enough problems of her own. After all, she had just been kidnapped and held hostage before making a life threatening escape. In addition to all of that, the possibility of her imminent death and of course the ever-present threat of war loomed over her head constantly. To put the situation in the simplest terms, when he murdered that man, he had been fulfilling his sworn duty to her - as both her friend and her bodyguard. Really, he should not have felt any remorse at all. He had been keeping the promise he had made to her after she had literally saved his neck from Coyote who had wanted to dispatch swift justice for what he had seen as an act of treason by stealing her away on her wedding day. If Yumiko had not done so, not only would Ichigo be dead, but it could have served as an excuse to declare war - by either side.

"Should I step down as General?" he asked, looking up at the man who would be King.

"No. You need to get your shit together and stay away from my wife," Coyote replied matter of factly without bothering to mince words. It was time to say what needed to be said without worrying about sparing anyone's feelings. It was too late to be gentle or even kind. Sighing loudly after seeing the devastated expression on the man's face, he put his hand on Ichigo's sagging shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. It's best for the both of you. From now on you should regard her as your Queen only, nothing more or less. She is the woman whose army you control and will lead to victory. She is no longer your friend." He paused, squeezing the man's shoulder in an attempt to offer some comfort. "She never will be again. She can't...just by virtue of her position as ruler."

"But if her father - " Ichigo was interrupted by another heart wrenching sigh.

"I discussed this with her father before coming here." This discussion was becoming more difficult as it progressed. He had not anticipated feeling like this. He sincerely felt terribly for Ichigo, Yumiko, and himself. He had grown rather fond of the man, especially in the past few weeks after all they had been through together. "Furthermore, as her husband, I will be the one who protects her and takes care of her. That is how it should be. You will be expected to concentrate your time and efforts on readying your troops since we will be going to war soon."

"Understood, Sir," Ichigo acknowledged, standing up to crispy salute the man who would be his supreme commander as the new King.

"I'll be leaving now," Coyote returned, nodding his head to acknowledge the show of respect. He patted Ichigo's shoulder, standing still without saying a word until the man looked at him. "Don't hate her. She does not know about this. This is my doing...hate me if you must but fight for her in battle. Like you, I will do anything to protect her. That's my job now, and I will do it as I see fit."

"Yes, my Lord," he replied, lowering his eyes again.

Coyote turned on his heel to leave, pausing by the door to issue one last request to Uryū. "Please watch over him. You're his friend. He will need you right now."

"Yes, your Highness," Uryū murmured, bowing slightly.

"One more thing," he added, staring straight ahead. "Next time you might consider going to Ichigo yourself if you have a problem. Handle this man to man before going to someone else. No one likes a snitch."

"Yes, Sir," a now very humbled and almost humiliated man replied with his deep blue eyes turned to the floor.

Coyote swiftly left the barracks, although he was in no real hurry to reach his destination. He raked his hand through his shoulder length hair, preparing himself to slay the dragon who would arise once he told Yumiko what he had done. Straightening his back and shoring up his courage, he made his way to the castle and their room where she was waiting for him.

Upon hearing Coyote entering the bedroom, Yumiko put down the book she had been reading. She had been reading about exotic lands she hoped to visit one day. Maybe once the war was over they could travel a bit. Seeing the grim expression on her husband's handsome face, her smile drifted away. She went to him immediately, putting her arms around his waist.

"Yumiko, there's something I need to tell you. You're going to be upset with me," he warned her, hugging her tightly before letting her go. "Please try to understand."

Coyote proceeded to tell her about the conversation with Ichigo without attempting to lighten the gravity of the words he had spoken. As he talked, he could actually watch the fury growing within her. He did not stop until he informed her of every detail of the encounter. The request to stay away from Ichigo was given to her as gently as possible. Lowering his arms from her rigid body, he waited for the onslaught of vicious words to begin.

Yumiko turned her back to him without saying a word. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything they would both regret. In no uncertain terms, she had just been told that her friendship with Ichigo was over. She had been reminded of her duty to her Kingdom and to her husband. Never before had she seen her husband so serious and so hurt all at the same time. She wanted to be angry with him but after seeing the emotional distress in his eyes she could not find it within herself to be outraged by what he had just told her. This decision and delivering it was definitely not easy or enjoyable for him. She was sure this must be hurting him as much it was herself or Ichigo because of the torment he wore on his face like a mask. They were both experiencing their first lesson in being King and Queen: making the difficult decisions no matter how much it caused them to suffer on a personal level for the greater good for their Kingdom - and their marriage.

"Yumi," Coyote murmured, putting his arms around her waist. He felt her body stiffen under his touch, but she did not pull away from him. At this time, her rejection would have nearly broken his heart in two since it was already aching so much. "I love you. I want our marriage to work. I want to save our Kingdoms. Above all, I want you to be safe...physically and emotionally."

"I want those things too, " she returned, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you either...or our marriage."

Coyote's arms tightened around her when he felt her body shudder betraying the tears she was trying to hide. "I really am trying to keep you from being hurt rather than causing you more pain."

"What about Ichigo? Hmmm? What about him?" she asked, turning around to face him. The tears continued to course down her cheeks while she stared at him in silence. She did feel hurt - and for some inexplicable reason, betrayed.

Coyote would have been much more comfortable if she had screamed, cursed, threw things at him, and generally threw a fit. He could not take the tears quietly falling from her gray eyes full of torment while she gazed at him pleadingly. It was like she was begging for him to make her understand, to help her comprehend why her world has suddenly been turned upside down once more and things had changed forever.

"He's a grown man. He can take it. For far too long I allowed the both of you to continue on in your relationship like nothing had changed from when you were kids. A lot has changed. Too much for the both of you to still be so close. It's dangerous for the both of you. Neither one of you will be able to operate appropriately in the very important positions you hold," he explained to her, touching her cheeks tenderly with his fingertips. "It could also lead to temptation and actions we'd all regret."

"So you're telling me you did this for the good of Ichigo and myself?" she queried a bit incredulously.

"No," he answered bluntly, kissing her forehead. "I did this for the good of the Kingdom. And myself. In the end, you will also see it was good for the both of you."

"You're not the man I first met so many months ago, Coyote," she stated pointedly, the tears drying on her cheeks while her eyes turned a cold steel-gray.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he responded, sliding his fingers through her hair.

"Don't be," she replied, the emotion in her eyes softening a bit. "I can see the great man you have become and the amazing King you'll be."

Yumiko put her arms around his neck, pulling his lips down to hers. She wanted and needed his comfort. Increasing the pressure of her lips against his, she clutched at the front of his coat to push it off of his shoulders.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, allowing the coat to fall to the floor.

"Would you rather I go find Ichigo to bury my sorrows?" she questioned him, a devilish expression in her eyes as she held his gaze.

Coyote swung her up into his arms to carry her bridal style to the bed. There was no time like the present to begin fulfilling his duties of taking care of her, to be there when she needs him the most.


	21. Chapter 21

Yumiko became the Queen of the East Kingdom in a quiet, nonpublic ceremony with only her immediate family and the extended family of her husband's brothers and wives in attendance. It was a pleasant ceremony with lots of tears, mostly on the part of the new Queen and her Father. The event became a serious, heartfelt matter that almost made the others feel like they were intruding on a private moment as the present King turned responsibility and ownership of his kingdom over to his beloved daughter. When King Byakuya placed the crown on her head, they were both reduced to tears which caused the others to decide to take their leave. The next few hours passed with the father and daughter redefining their roles not only as monarchs but as parent and child as well. Byakuya had to relinquish her both as a father and a king; this was the time he had both looked forward to and dreaded. Yumiko would be taking her official place as adult and ruler.

"Daddy," she sniffed, combing her fingers through the silken black locks that lay across his chest.

Byakuya smiled, watching her slender fingers raking through his hair. She had done this as a child when he would hold her because she was frightened. His arms tightened around her, and he pulled her head to his chest.

"What, Yumi?" he asked, holding her protectively. If only he could prevent the coming evil, he would give anything to keep her from having to endure it. This had to be the most trying part of parenthood: watching a child go through something complicated and dangerous while being powerless to stop it. The first true test of her as a ruler and a person would be coming to her very soon full of power and fury: the war declared by King Sōsuke.

"Are you sure now is the time? Should this have waited until after the war? You've led the East Kingdom through a war before and came out triumphant, maybe we should - " Her voice was rising with each word, making her sound like she was on the verge of hysteria before her father interrupted her.

"Yumi," he said firmly but gently in his deep lilting voice. Pressing his hands to her cheeks to make her look at him, he smiled down at her while swallowing the tears to keep them from falling. "I would not turn the kingdom over to you if I did not think you were capable of protecting it and saving our people. You have a great man at your side in Coyote. Then there's Uryū and Ichigo who will be fighting for you..." He paused when he saw the sadness flash through her eyes at the mention of the orange haired soldier and the black-haired archer. How careless of him to forget the discussion he had with his son-in-law about distancing her from the two men who had been friends and lovers. For her to think, to be able to correctly bear the burden of her responsibility (and for the two men detrimental to the preservation of their kingdom to carry out their commission for that matter), it had been necessary to sever the intimate ties that bound them. In an attempt to soothe her heart and his, he added, "And you'll always have me."

"Daddy," she gasped, burying her face into the soft folds of his burgundy velvet robes to cry.

"Shed all the tears you can now, my dear daughter. There will come a time when you do not have the luxury to cry," Byakuya warned her, stroking her ebony hair that was twisted into a thick braid that hung down her back to her waist.

Yumiko knew exactly what he meant. Soon the war would begin and there would be no time for tears. Sorrow and mourning would have to wait until they had won the clear victory. Then, and only then, would she be able to grieve for those lost or hardships endured.

~\0/~

_Two months later..._

"My Queen!" one of the castle guards bellowed, entering the throne room without even knocking.

Yumiko, along with Coyote, her father, Ichigo, and Uryū looked up from the table covered with a map on which tiny figures representing the key players in the war stood. They had been literally mapping out strategies with which to counteract the possible attack patterns of their enemy. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had sent word to their kingdoms to mobilize all troops to their borders, to not only hold back King Sōsuke's armies but to push them toward the East Kingdom with nowhere to turn.

The guard, who had once been the footman who escorted Yumiko to the Central Kingdom to marry Coyote, swallowed convulsively as the imposing people stared at him without speaking. His already huge blue eyes seemed to widen and he pulled nervously at the high collar of his uniform.

"Hana, what is it?" Yumiko asked, breaking the silence. She used the guard's name in hopes it would calm him and keep him from fainting before he told her what was so urgent that he had to break into a meeting unannounced. This seemed to do the trick in snapping him back to professional mode as he stood erect and stiff at attention, saluting her with a hand over his heart and a slight bow.

"Forgive me, your Highness," he said, waving to someone behind him to come in. "But we found this man outside the gates. He insists on speaking with you."

Standing between the two guards who entered was the silver-haired adviser of King Sōsuke. The men surrounding the Queen immediately put their hands on their sword hilts, but she raised her hand to signal to them to hold and not draw their swords. The man was beaten and bruised, dried blood caked upon his typically pristine white suit. His usually impeccable and shiny silver hair was matted and faded in appearance. Although he had always been thin, he now looked positively starved. Gin swayed unsteadily when the guards roughly shoved him forward. Somehow he managed to right himself, holding out his hand in a stop gesture when Yumiko rushed forward to him.

Yumiko could not take her eyes away from him especially when he smiled and opened the one sky blue eye that was not swollen shut. Tears burned her eyes as he stubbornly and elegantly bowed, determined to maintain a shred of his dignity. She returned the respectful gesture, clearing her throat so she could get rid of the choking lump that had formed.

"Why are you here?" she questioned him, her voice faltering when he swayed forward a bit. Every muscle in her body tightened, wanting to propel her forward to be able to catch him if he fell. Instead, to allow him to hold onto his small modicum of pride in his sorry state, she held still without moving a finger.

"I came to warn you, my Queen," he proclaimed, ignoring the skeptical snorts issued from the men behind her. "King Sōsuke is near. He will be marching upon your kingdom in three days. He is coming at you with a full frontal attack strategy, using his best and most vicious soldiers, including hired mercenaries, in his front line of offense."

Yumiko was unable to stop herself from flying to him when he pitched forward and threatened to fall onto his face on the stone floor. She wrapped her arms around him, sinking to her knees to keep him from further injuring himself. It did not even occur to her that he might still be bleeding and would ruin her lovely white dress that she wore today. It did not matter anyway. Soon her hands would be stained with blood that she could never wash away. Placing her lips near his ear, she whispered, "Who did this to you? Was it my men?"

"No. I was caught sneaking away to bring you the news. I barely escaped with my life to be here," he informed her, pulling back to look at her face as they knelt in front of each other. His fingers shook as he reached out to touch her cheek. "I would have gladly died for you, but not until after I had brought you this news. I will serve you, my Queen, if you will have me."

"No, absolutely not!" Coyote yelled, drawing his sword. "You were an enemy and you even betrayed them! How can we trust you?"

"NO!" Yumiko shouted so loudly it echoed off of the bare stone walls around them. She stood to her feet, turning to face her husband. Her eyes met his, boring into their steely blue depths. Extending her hand to him, she pushed down the sword he had raised. She knew he had planned to push her out of the way and run the man through, most likely piercing his heart and as many vital organs as possible so he would die quickly. This whole scene had been played out before but under much different circumstances and with a different man that she was protecting.

"How many times are you going to do this?" Coyote snarled in her face, his lips drawing back from his teeth to give him a feral, severe expression. "How often will you defy me and humiliate me?"

"I'm doing neither. I will do this as many times as I deem necessary to prevent a needless death," she answered, kissing him briefly on the lips. Her pulse beat so loudly in her ears she thought she might be deaf but hearing the metallic grind and snap when he slammed his sword back into its metal sheath proved otherwise. "This man shielded me from any harm when I was being held captive. He took care of my meals and made sure I wanted for nothing considering the already dire circumstances. He even put his life at risk to save mine by helping me escape. Now he's done it again, almost being killed to warn me of when King Sōsuke will arrive. Yet you want to reward him with finishing the job and killing him. No, I won't allow it."

Coyote gave his wife one last scathing glare before turning his back on her to return to stand by her father's side at the war table. He received a knowing and commiserate pat on the shoulder from her father. If anyone could truly understand his anger and indignation with that stubborn, overly opinionated, and downright aggravating woman it was her father.

"Hana, please get the doctor and take this man to a room," Yumiko ordered him, assisting Gin with getting to his feet.

"A room in the dungeon, your Highness?" he inquired, waving his hands to his comrades to help the unsteady man.

"No. The castle. I'm returning a kindness once shown to me. I do want you to post guards at his door. Despite his delicate condition, he will be viewed as a prisoner, but not treated like one," she explained, turning to glance at her husband.

Coyote nodded affirmatively when she shot him a look that asked the question 'are you happy now?' He was not completely thrilled with the arrangement, but it would have to suffice. He already knew there would be no changing her decision so he did not bother to voice his misgivings. Besides, he would have to trust her judgment implicitly since she would be making the final decisions as to how to pursue the attack. It would help their planning tremendously since they knew when and how King Sōsuke would be coming. They just needed to ready themselves and have their defenses fortified.

~...~

Yumiko rose from the straight backed chair beside Gin's bed to stretch. She had been sitting here for hours waiting for him to awake after Isshin had treated the wounds. Gin had been allowed to take a much needed bath first to get rid of the excess blood so the doctor could easily see the extent of the man's injuries. Most of the wounds were contusions, deep muscle damage that had caused a lot of bruising, but no internal injuries to the organs. He had received a few lacerations, some that required stitches, but no stab wounds. A sad smile formed on her face as she looked at the man who had risked his life to give her the strategic news that would put her kingdom at a better advantage to deal with the coming invaders. Leaning over the bed, she bent down to trail her fingers along his jawline, the side that was not sporting a stomach turning black and purple bruise. A long tendril of her black hair fell over her shoulder and tickled his nose, startling him to wakefulness. She gasped when he instantly came to consciousness, his one uninjured eye popping open wide while he grabbed her by the wrist. Before she could utter a sound, he snatched her off her feet to pull her across his body and down on her back in the bed next to him.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" she screamed, struggling as he held her down with a hand pressed to her chest.

"Shhhh!" he hissed, covering her mouth with his other hand while pulling her close to him. Seconds later, an arrow came flashing past them, splitting the air with a soft whooshing sound as it went across the room. The metal head embedded itself in the area between two of the closely fitted stones comprising the wall. "Assassins! Dammit! I should have known the bastard would have me followed since he did not kill me. In my rush to get to you, I never considered it was all a part of his plan. I'm sorry, my Queen. I've put you danger. That was not my intention."

"Over here!"a man yelled in the courtyard outside below them. The voice had sounded like Uryū's.

Yumiko felt like a turtle on it's back as she kicked and writhed to finally roll herself over and get off of the man in the bed. She went to the window, looking down below where archers and guards had gathered with torches. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out what or who they were looking at. Frustrated and impatient at not being able to see from the third story of the castle, she resorted to her climbing skills that she had honed to perfection over the years.

Gin watched with unabashed curiosity as the beautiful Queen Yumiko pulled the dress over her head to reveal that she was wearing brown leather pants and a leather vest. He recalled having seen her in that particular get-up before when she had been killing apples during target practice after her arrival at the Central Kingdom castle. He could only shake his head as he observed her swinging her body over the sill. Carefully hauling his sore body out of the bed, he went to the window to see her scaling the wall downward at a fast pace with the ease and grace of a lizard racing across the stones.

"My Queen!" the stunned Head Archer yelled when she appeared out of the dark night like an illusion. He caught himself as he stared at her momentarily with gape mouthed awe because she was dressed in the provocative leather outfit. If her husband were here, he would chastise her for dressing rather unseemly.

"What are you wearing?" Coyote demanded, joining the circle of archers around the man in black lying on the ground with an arrow sticking out of his chest.

"Clothes," she answered smartly without acknowledging the snickers of the men that followed. "Shouldn't we be more concerned with this assassin?"

"Right," her husband returned, raising an eyebrow. They would have a talk later about her choice of clothing. It had worked to her advantage that they had a problem to deal with that was more distracting than her outfit. He nudged the man on the ground the toe of his boot, receiving a groan in return that confirmed his suspicion the interloper was not dead yet. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Yumiko moved to stand beside her husband refusing to comment on the obviousness of his questions. They already knew this man was an assassin sent by the adversarial king. The next answer took them all by surprise.

"I came to kill the traitor, Gin," the man wheezed, coughing up copious amounts of blood that soaked into the bare soil beside him. "I did not come to harm the Queen. I was placed under strict orders to let her be. King Sōsuke wants to deal with her personally. There are men coming behind me to kidnap her to take her to the king."

"Why are you telling us this?" Yumiko inquired, backing away when the man opened his eyes to stare into hers. Only on rare occasions had she seen such soulless eyes devoid of emotion; a pair of dark brown eyes, Sōsuke's eyes, came to mind.

"Because I am an assassin. I have no loyalties. I was hired to do a job by an inhuman bastard who deserves to die. Since I'm dying, I want to return the favor to him," the man panted, his breathing labored.

"What do we do? Call the doctor for him?" Coyote inquired, expecting a yes. What he did not expect was for his wife to grab his sword and plunge it into the heart of the dying man.

"He was dying anyway," she said as if to explain her violent action, her voice low and menacing. She looked around at the men staring at her with open mouths. Reaching down, she pulled the arrow from the dead man's chest; it had missed his heart by several inches. Holding it up for them to see, she demanded, "Who's arrow is this?"

A young archer who looked as if he had just joined their ranks stepped forward. He kept his eyes on the ground beneath his feet as he stuttered, "I-I d-did, y-your H-highness."

Yumiko drew back her hand to give the young man a crisp, stinging slap to the face. "Next time you aim, shoot to kill. There's no reason to cause needless suffering."

Yumiko withdrew her husband's sword from the body to return it to him. Without another word, she turned her back to leave. There was a tense and deafening silence among the men who stayed quiet while watching their Queen walk away. She walked in surprisingly slow metered steps after committing the shocking, barbaric act of killing the assassin, then slapping the archer who had failed to kill him the first time. There was no panic, no tears. For an extended moment after she had disappeared from their sight, the shell-shocked King continued to stare at the empty air that was heavy with tension and a feeling of unease. None of them were sure what to think upon the startling and unforeseen advent of their warrior Queen. Coyote held his sword gingerly with the tips of his fingers not moving a muscle while blood dripped from the tip onto the ground at his feet.

"What is it?" Uryū inquired of the pale, stricken man.

"She did not cry," he replied, his voice weak and low. He was afraid something had died within his wife in that moment; he hoped this war and it's horrors would not destroy her. As infuriating as her boundless mercy could be, her compassion was an inherent part of her. Lowering his eyes to the dead man in front of him, perhaps that had been her way of showing mercy to this man, by putting him out of his misery. The assassin had received a mortal wound and even if he was not already dying, surely only torture and death awaited him from King Sōsuke for failing his mission.

Uryū sighed heavily, casting an annoyed glare at the man standing in front of him. Since he could not follow after her, he dared to issue an order to the new King. "Go to her. She needs you."

Coyote gave the man a nod. He knelt down to clean the blood from his sword using the dead man's cloak before sheathing the weapon and rushing into the castle. He found her in their room, gazing out of their window at the star filled night sky.

"Are you all right?" he questioned her, tentatively putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she answered, her voice tranquil. "I know what my father meant now...that there will come a time when I will not have the luxury of tears."

"But you're still human, sweetheart so - " He stopped speaking when she turned to look at him. His eyes held hers that were just as calm as her voice; there were no turbulent emotions, not even a hint of anger.

"I am the Queen. I have to be strong to protect my kingdom and those I love," she told him, putting her arms around his neck. She kissed him, a pleasant lingering kiss with no urgency only passion to convey her love to him. " I cannot allow illogical emotions to cloud my thinking or judgment. I can't lose anyone I love."

Coyote held her, pressing his lips to her forehead briefly. They stayed in each other's arm for hours, content in the closeness with no words passing between them. They could only think about what would be occurring after three sunrises from now. On that third day, everything would change forever. Coyote ran his fingers through his wife's hair, kissing her tenderly on the lips. Actually, some things already had changed.


	22. Chapter 22

A big thank you to my beta, xfang-girlx! I appreciate you always taking the time to read over these chapters for me.

* * *

A shrew in human form is defined as an ill-tempered scolding woman. As a joke to break up the stifling atmosphere of doom and gloom from the impending evil coming their way, Orihime and Tier, along with the help of Queen Hisana and Rukia, spent a day embroidering a flag featuring the mole like animal of the same name in silver against a burgundy background. They presented the flag to the new Queen at dinner the night before their foes would arrive. This enabled everyone to laugh and relax, to enjoy their feast and their last peaceful night together for God knows how long.

~...~

Yumiko sat on the back of the tall white mare named Hera. She knew Ichigo had been training the mare just for her since before she had left on that fateful trip to the Central Kingdom. He had named the horse for the Greek goddess and wife of Zeus. Hera was to be the counterpart to his black horse Zeus, a true yin and yang - just like the two of them. She and Ichigo had been so young and childish, thinking they could still be together. Friendship had been an impossibility as well. _"A queen for a queen, your Highness," _he had told her when presenting the mare to her. They were strictly Monarch and loyal soldier, the General of her troops. Sliding Ichigo a sidelong glance, she saw that his face was fixed on the enemy who stood before them several hundred yards away across the open field with their black and white banners sporting the golden sun emblem of the new king because he had taken to calling himself the Sun King: the man so highly favored by God that he is the one who causes the sun to rise everyday. Ruler of all and servant to none, Sōsuke had become a power-driven madman with an overblown sense of self and had suffered a complete disconnect with reality. There would be much restoration work to do once this war was over. Hundreds of villages to repair and rebuild; thousands of lives to restore to some semblance of normalcy. His rampage of terror would end soon. It had to end so no more lives would be devastated.

Yumiko sighed heavily, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the suit armor she was wearing. Although the blacksmith had made the armor as thin and lightweight as possible while still offering maximum protection he had added several sliding plates and hinges to allow for easy movement which only added the weight back. She felt confined and debilitated as if she were locked in a metal can. Perhaps her feeling of physical impairment was caused by the mental assault occurring in her head; an overwhelming onslaught of mishmashed thoughts from the past and present colliding. The future was not even a thought at this moment - the future could not even be considered until the war was over. The most pivotal battle was about to be fought right now. Staring across the open field in front of the castle to her kingdom, she saw her enemy in their grandness and glory but did not feel intimidated. Instead she was furious. This was a battle she could not stand to lose either physically or mentally.

Queen Yumiko sat on her horse, shining like a beacon of light in the sun as the blinding rays glinted off of her shiny silver armor. The bow with the wolf's head made by the Captain of her Archers was strapped across her back along with a quiver full of the specially made lethal arrows given to her as a present by her husband. Coyote was to her left on his brown and black stallion while her General was on the right. Orihime and Tier along with their husbands were in position behind her on their steeds. Grimmjow held a lance on which the shrew pennant proudly waved in the light breeze; Ulquiorra had been less than amused that his brother actually planned to carry that damn flag into battle. All were dressed in full battle armor complete with helmets. Behind all of them stood the soldiers, spanning the full length across the front of the castle and standing three men deep to the moat. Along the top of the castle walls were the archers standing at the ready with bows in hand. Reinforcements were waiting behind the drawn and locked tight castle gate. Her parents, along with Gin, had been safely hidden in her castle on the back of the property with archers and soldiers to guard them. They were ready and waiting for their enemy who faced them to make a move.

Yumiko jumped when she felt a hand cover hers. Her eyes flew to the grayish blue ones of her husband who patted her hands while offering her an encouraging smile. Returning the smile, she released the breath she had unknowingly been holding. She relaxed her grip on the reins, flexing her fingers to allow the blood to flow through them; she had been holding on so tightly her fingers had gone white and numb without her even realizing it. The horse had not flinched a single moment despite the nervous tension wracking the body of her rider. Patting the horse's neck, Yumiko cooed to her, grateful for the horse's steadiness. Ichigo had done a fantastic job of training Hera.

"Good girl...so beautiful, so steady, so brave," she murmured to the horse, stroking her soothingly. The gesture offered some comfort to her and her strained nerves.

"Just like her master, my Queen," Ichigo said without turning his head to look at her.

"Hold steady, General. We're about to engage in battle. Don't allow your attention to go astray," Coyote warned him with a calm but menacing tone.

"Yes, your Lordship," he returned with a smirk, bowing slightly at the waist in a gesture of mock subservience to the King he refused to address properly. He knew as long as he used a title of respect there would be no repercussion. To his Queen he offered his loyalty and his life, his reverence and undying love both as a soldier and a man; to the new King he could only promise to give him the regard and adulation due the position.

"Look," Yumiko said, jerking her chin toward the adversaries waiting across the plain of flat grassland. A rider was coming toward them, moving slowly at a casual canter on his black horse which contrasted beautifully with his golden armor. The Sun King himself was riding out to meet the Shrew Queen. "It's him. Stay here, and don't move. I'm going out to meet him."

"Yumiko, no, wait!" Ichigo yelled before he could stop himself when she kicked Hera in the flanks to send her out at a fast gallop.

Coyote was too horrified by seeing his wife riding to meet Sōsuke to address the General's improper and too familiar use of his wife's first name. The sound of metal against metal as swords were drawn filled the air with a metallic hiss that set his teeth on edge along with jangling his overwrought nerves. Glancing up at the archers across the top of the castle gate walls, he saw that they had drawn back arrows and were ready to let them fly. Raising his hand he shouted an order to hold still while receiving a simultaneous glare from the General and Captain of the fighting men. He planned to ride after her but the firm but gentle pressure of the General's hand against his shoulder warned him not to.

"Whatever happens, just stand your ground," Ichigo murmured, seeing the urgency and need to rush to her in the man's eyes. He felt the same way. "I'll hold you back if you promise to do the same for me so we can both fulfill her orders."

"Agreed," Coyote rejoined, nodding his head but keeping his eyes on his wife who was quickly closing the gap between herself and his brother. Suddenly, he felt himself shift back into the feeling of friendship he used to have with this man. "She's a hopelessly stubborn idiot."

Ichigo sighed noisily, patting his comrade on the shoulder so fiercely in commiseration it made the armor clank. "Yeah, but you love her anyway. Good luck with that, my friend."

Yumiko felt as if her stomach were rising and falling with each fluid movement of the horse. Every muscle in her body tightened to the point she was in fear of getting a full body cramp as she neared the smug and overconfident Sōsuke who gave her a winning smile that could have been deemed flirtatious in a parallel universe. Her dark gray eyes caught and held his brown ones that actually contained an emotion for once which shocked her into a nearly catatonic state. Pulling up the reins in a quick, decisive move, she halted her horse to allow the man to encompass the small distance between them as his lips tilted into a lopsided smirk of overpowering conceit mixed with unadulterated cockiness.

"You're just so damn sure of yourself that you have the nerve to call me out," she spat out between her gritted teeth. "Why?"

"Because I want to kill their Queen before their very eyes, break their confidence and destroy their conviction as soon as possible," he announced with a forthrightness that she found offensive.

"You've never been one to mince words have you, you bastard? What makes you think I'll be so easy to kill?" Yumiko questioned him just as candidly. She observed him with growing suspicion and apprehension as he dismounted his horse and drew his sword.

"Actually, I don't think you'll be that easy to kill," he admitted, holding up the sword that had obviously been specially made for him. It was gold-plated because it would have been far too soft for battle to have been forged out of pure gold. The blade was wide, at least four inches, and had to be at least forty-eight inches long - much bigger than a standard sword. The handle was gold and encrusted with jewels.

"Would you like for me to wait while you put that decoration away and draw your real sword? It's beautiful indeed but it looks unwieldy and awkward for battle. Also, judging by the sheer size of that thing, I'd say you're compensating for certain, shall we say, size issues from another weapon of yours," she taunted, giving him a ferocious smile with a devious glint in her eye.

Sōsuke's leering grin instantly dropped from his sinisterly handsome face. The amusement in his eyes immediately darkened into relentless fury. In a flurry of startlingly fast movement, he lurched forward, grabbing the bitchy shrew Queen by the arm to drag her from her horse. Yumiko hit the ground on her back, issuing a loud grunt as the air was pushed from her lungs from the impact. She kicked forward with both feet when the man tried to lean over and grab her again to get a better hold of her. The soles of her boots contacted his hard abdomen, pushing him backwards with enough force that he stumbled a few steps before falling onto his ass in the tall green grass. Jumping to his feet, he regained his fighting stance just in time to see she had readied her bow and was drawing back an arrow. Yumiko was aiming for the space in his armor at his shoulder; she planned to lodge the arrow in that joint to separate his arm from the shoulder to render it useless. When she released the arrow, he lowered his body to allow the arrow to sail safely over his shoulder. Before she could retrieve another arrow, he bumrushed her to grab her around the waist and throw her down in the tall grass. Yumiko screamed when he landed on top of her with all of his weight which was crushing her beneath him due to his muscle mass encapsulated by the heavy armor. She screamed again when he straddled her waist, trapping her arms beneath his knees to hold her still and at his mercy beneath him.

"You don't fight with honor!" she screamed at him, struggling under his weight despite the painful bruises she was receiving on her arms and ribs.

"I don't fight for honor! I fight to win! Good-bye, your Majesty," he ground out between his teeth, rivulets of sweat coursing down his tanned face. Indeed, she was not making this easy for him, but he liked it. It was almost a shame to kill her so soon. Toying with her longer could be fun.

Yumiko contemplated what he could be waiting for as he paused with the sword held threateningly above her. Was he deciding whether to plunge it into her heart to kill her instantly or into her lung to make her endure a slow painful death while drowning on her own blood? Or was he simply not ready to kill her yet and wanted to torture her some more? Whatever his cause for hesitation, she took advantage of it, raising her leg to kick in the back of the head. Her shinguard made a satisfying _clank_ as it contacted his skull, the solitary sound echoing across the eerily quiet battlefield as the two people engaged in a private battle that which no one dared to interfere with. When he fell to the side, a bit dazed and definitely confused, she stood to her feet giving him a moment to recover before he stood to face her.

"You are an honorable foe indeed. It really is a pity I have to kill you," he said, raising his sword to rush at her again.

Yumiko stood calmly with both feet together, unmoving as the man moved toward her intending to run her through with his magnificent sword. She reached behind her to seize an arrow, lifting her other arm away from her body. Stepping slightly to the right, she felt the blade of the sword glide along the hinged metal plate protecting her side and the plate covering the inside of her bicep. Enclosing the perilously sharp sword blade with her fingers protected with chain mail gloves, she pulled her adversary close to her as if he were a lover. With his lips inches from hers and his mesmerizing brown eyes locked on hers, she smiled at him. She held him close to her body, bringing her hand holding the arrow around to the back of his head.

"I'm not dying today. You are," she spoke with a frighteningly tranquil assurance. She would swear that she felt him shiver as she drove the arrow held in her hand into the soft spot at the back of his head between where his skull and connected to his neck. The arrow penetrated the cerebellum before breaking the vertebrae with a gut wrenching crack. The sharp arrowhead severed the spinal cord, rendering him paralyzed and unable to fight against her.

"You bi - " Before he could finish the word, she pushed the arrow in deeper. She felt the shaft twitch in her hand as the blades in the arrowhead engaged and opened up. With a low, pathetic moan Sōsuke's life was over as the blades demolished the medulla oblongata. She watched his lifeless body fall to the ground in a slow motion descent that was melodramatic; a pitiful end to the glorious Sun King. Staring at the dead body on the ground, numb both emotionally and physically, she did not hear the cry of attack from the enemy in front of her. Their King was dead, but they still had a mission to complete. The chosen target stood in front of them frozen with shock while the world continued to move around her.

"KOKO, MOVE!" Ichigo bellowed at the top of his lungs, prodding Zeus harder although the horse was already running at full speed. He was terrified he would not make it time. His vision filled with the heart wrenching sight of the enemy commander, bearing down on her swinging a mace.

"Shoot him, Yumiko! Shoot him!" Coyote hollered, hoping he had made it through the fog clouding her brain when he saw her bend down to grab her bow from the ground. He watched her raise the bow with an arrow pointed at the man coming toward her with murderous intent. With satisfaction and relief, he saw the arrow meet its mark right between the man's eyes which caused him to roll backwards and tumble off the back of his horse to the ground.

Yumiko scanned the men on horseback coming toward her, searching for the high-ranking officers. Whistling for Hera, she raised her arms to grab the reins when she saw the powerful white mare galloping toward her. Although it felt as if her arms were being snatched out of the very joints, she held onto the reins and heaved herself onto the animal's back. Once again searching for the highest ranking officers in the hordes of men on horseback and on the ground flowing toward her in a wave of angry, adrenaline fueled humanity, she began picking off the officers she could find one by one until her arrows were gone.

"Go back!" Coyote commanded her, stabbing the soldier who grabbed her ankle in the throat. "Go! You're out of arrows!"

Yumiko could not argue with him about that. She had neglected to arm herself with any other weapons, therefore, her being on the battlefield was pointless and suicidal. Tier and Orihime appeared with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra to surround her, forming a shield and sword armed barrier between her and the soldiers attempting to attack her. With Coyote at the front and Ichigo at the back, they gradually made their way back toward the castle while luring the enemy closer to be within range of the archers and the second group of soldiers waiting to be released when they drawbridge was lowered.

The massive wooden bridge shuddered and groaned, the huge links of the chain clanking loudly while it was lowered. The order for the Archers to shoot was given by Uryū since the royals and their own soldiers were safely out of range. Arrows rained down from the sky on the insidious interlopers to prevent them from advancing any closer to the castle. The bridge hit the ground with a boom and a puff of dust just as a second storm of arrows felled innumerable enemies, preventing them from moving toward the castle.

"Go, go, go!" Ichigo yelled to the small group as if they were a platoon of his soldiers.

The soldiers waited patiently on the other side for the people to clear their path before streaming out to advance upon the next line of rivals attempting to storm the gates. They would keep this up until they caused the enemy to fall back to regroup or give up entirely and retreat. They were sure the former would be the most likely occurence but that would also give them a chance to recover as well.

Coyote dismounted his horse, throwing his helmet in frustration as he stalked toward his wife. Reaching up, he grabbed her by the arms ignoring her screams of pain as he pulled her off of the horse to set her down on her feet in front of him. "You're not going back out there!"

"None of you are!" Ichigo yelled, clutching Coyote's shoulder and swinging him around. He shamelessly punched the man full in the face. The haymaker was powerful enough it caused the man to stumble backwards a few steps. "Don't you ever touch her like that again!"

"Stop it!" Yumiko screeched, grabbing her husband's arm as he raised it to return the favor of punching Ichigo.

"I can't fight this war while trying to protect your royal asses!" Ichigo hollered, stepping back to avoid the shot meant for his face after the irate King shook off his wife whose arms were too battered and sore to hold onto him. "Stay within in the castle walls. Protect everyone here." The General pulled Yumiko in front of Coyote so he could see her instead of a target for another right hook. "Protect her."

Coyote stopped, blinking as if he had just noticed she was there. Taking her into his arms, he embraced her so tightly she could barely breathe. "Damn you woman, don't you ever scare me like that again. I cannot bear the thought of living without you."

"I feel the same way about you," she whispered, pressing her lips to his.

"Goddammit," Ichigo growled, stalking away so he would not have to watch the irritatingly heart warming scene. "The battlefield is no place for this romantic crap."

"Oh, come on, Carrot Top," Grimmjow dared to tease him, flinging an arm over his shoulders as he fell into step beside him. He slid his finger under the man's chin, turning his head to face him. "There's always time for romance. You could probably use some right about now."

"Get your damn hands off of me you blue haired psycho before I break your fingers then your kneecaps," he warned, giving the man a lethal glare.

"Grimmjow! You idiot!" Tier shouted at her husband who had picked a very bad time to joke with the General. At least she hoped he was joking. "Get over here and don't piss off the man who's going to protect our asses!"

"Yes, dear!" he rejoined with mock obedience, winking at Ichigo before walking back to his wife.

"Oh, my god," Ichigo grumbled, rubbing his hand over his face. He was battle weary already and the war had just begun. "These royal pains in the ass are going to drive me crazy."


	23. Chapter 23

Thanks to my lovely beta xfang-girlx who is always a tremendous help!

* * *

Yumiko poked at her food, pushing it around the plate with disinterest while thinking. Something was not right. The eyes that she had stared into today formed in her memory in vivid detail. The emotions she had seen in the dark brown eyes replayed in her mind along with the words that had been exchanged between herself and the man those eyes belonged to. It had been the longest conversation she had ever held with Sōsuke. Those eyes...that was what bothered her because it was as if she had been looking into the eyes of another man. Nausea welled within her stomach so violently the bile rose in her throat causing her to flee from the dining table. Running through the kitchen, ignoring the surprised and worried expressions on the servants faces, she fled from the castle out of the back door. The chill night air hit her in the face, cooling her hot skin and calming the sick feeling. She kept running although the nausea had subsided, disappearing into the woods that surrounded the castle. There was a magnificent old tree that she was searching for; the one she used to climb and hide in when she was young. It was her safe haven, her place to escape the world and think. Her steps slowed when the massive tree with branches that spread out and formed a leafy umbrella came into view as a huge shadow. She jumped to catch one of the smaller branches above her, about two feet in diameter, to haul herself up into the tree. Thankfully she had changed into black leather pants and a long-sleeved black shirt; not only was she protected from scrapes but she disappeared into the shadows of the night. She had just pushed off the bottom branch to climb to the next one when her hand was seized and she was pulled forward into two strong arms. A hand covered her mouth and nose preventing her from not only screaming but breathing as well so she had no choice but to stay quiet.

"Koko, what the hell are you doing here?" the familiar voice of a certain orange haired General hissed in her ear.

Yumiko immediately relaxed and reached up to peel away his hand from her nose so she could breathe. If he wanted to keep his hand over her mouth that was fine because she did not feel like talking anyway.

"You could get us both into a lot of trouble by being here. Your husband will probably execute me if - " He lifted his hand from her mouth when she jerked away from him.

"I didn't expect you to be here in _my_ hiding place. All I could think of doing was getting away to think," she explained unnecessarily because that was always why she came here and he knew that.

"What's on your mind, my Queen?" he asked, watching her scoot along the branch to put over an arm's length of distance between them. That was probably a good thing. The pained expression on her face made him want to take her into his arms and kiss her until the worry went away. He doubted she would have opposed him either which would be disastrous at the moment.

"I want to know who that man was today," she said matter of factly, swinging her dangling legs back and forth to keep the blood flowing.

"What man? What are you talking about?" he questioned her, his eyebrows drawing together in concern. Had she suffered a fracture in her psyche today after killing the Sun King?

"For some reason, I have the distinct feeling that man I killed was not Sōsuke. I need to go talk to Gin," she announced for no apparent reason, jumping down to the branch below.

"Gin? Why?" he queried, lowering himself down to the same branch.

"You sure are full of questions," she murmured, landing soundlessly on the ground below.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so endlessly confusing and keep making me ask them," he countered before landing beside her.

"Who would know Sōsuke better than the man who watched him grow up while serving his father?" she asked, stepping back from him. She thought it best to maintain a wide distance between them before she fell into his arms seeking the comfort that she so desperately wanted. Now she understood one more of Coyote's many reasons for distancing her from Ichigo. The emotional ties that had bound them were still strong; stronger than she had thought and could lead to infinite trouble at times like this.

"I'll walk with you," he offered, stopping when she took several swift steps backwards away from him. What was wrong with her? Could she be feeling the old, overpowering attraction that he was experiencing himself?

"I can walk there by myself. I know where Gin is. Besides, it's not safe for you. What would someone think if they saw us?" She gave him an apologetic smile before trotting off to find Gin.

Yumiko entered the newly built castle hidden among the trees. This was supposed to have been her home yet it had become a safe haven, a hiding place for people she needed to protect. She found her mother and father first, sitting in the den next to the fireplace where a brightly burning fire filled the room with its light and warmth. They exchanged brief greetings and strong embraces before she sat down on the hand-woven rug in front of the hearth. She told them of the events of the day despite the fact they had already received a full report from Renji who had come to spend time with Rukia. It seemed social status and rank were being tightly upheld in part of the family while it had been overlooked for others. However, hadn't it always been this way? For once it was Rukia who was reaping the benefits of the relaxed standards instead of her. At the moment, there were bigger problems to confront than social class differences. She had explained her misgivings about the identity of the man she had killed on the battlefield. There was a nagging feeling akin to a deep, inexplicable knowing that the 'real' Sōsuke was still out there, waiting to spring a trap. It was not in his nature to go down so easily and in such a public manner.

"I thought I heard the voice of my lovely Queen," Gin said as he walked into the room.

The royal parents nodded at their unlikely housemate to acknowledge his presence. They had gotten to know him quite well since they were all sequestered to the home for their own safety. They felt their daughter had made the right decision by trusting the man and offering him sanctuary. Helping her escape from Sōsuke had given them reason enough to trust him which had actually been less difficult than they expected after speaking with him at length. Byakuya took his wife's hand proclaiming that they should retire to their bedchamber. It had been a long day, and they were weary from all of the gut wrenching information they had received. He knew his daughter needed to speak with the man who had just entered the room about an extremely important matter.

"Good night, my darling daughter," her mother whispered, kissing her eldest child's cheek after she bent down to be within reach. She pushed a lock of hair back to look into Yumiko's eyes that were just like Byakuya's. A smile touched her lips when she saw strength and resolve there with no remorse or guilt. "I'm very proud of you. I know you will always do the right thing to uphold justice and preserve our kingdom."

"Thank you, mother," she responded, bowing respectfully to her mother.

"You have far exceeded my expectations," her father said, stepping in front of her to hug her. After glancing at the man who waited patiently at the door, with a raised eyebrow he added, "You continue to do so by receiving the adoration of the most unexpected men."

Yumiko was not sure if her father was speaking with sarcasm or sincerity. Was there an underlying meaning to his words that she was not quite understanding? Shrugging physically to rid herself of the thoughts, she bid her father good night with a kiss on the cheek. She sat down in the chair her father had been sitting in while Gin sat across from her where her mother had been. She returned his smile as he sank back into the chair to relax.

"There's something I need to know," she stated in a firm voice deciding to get to the crux of the matter without wasting time with chit chat. Gin seemed like a no-nonsense kind of man anyway who would prefer it that way. "Has your former King been known to use body doubles to do his dirty work?"

The semi-permanent grin wavered then fell. "Take me to the body and I can tell you."

"There's no need. You just confirmed what I already suspected." She studied his face which was full of disappointment and something she thought him incapable of feeling - fear. "What's wrong?" she asked, leaning forward to put her hand on his forearm.

"I was hoping it was true when I heard that he was dead," he answered, opening his eyes since the foxish smile was not making them squint closed. His eyes met hers, holding them. "For your sake."

Yumiko swallowed audibly while struggling to find her voice. "What are you not telling me?"

"I know Sōsuke. He will not rest until he accomplishes a goal. One of the goals he set a long time ago was to destroy you. He'll start by taking away those you love first. Then, once you're beaten and broken mentally, he'll come to finish you physically," he told her, putting his hand over hers. "I can't bear to see that happen. Not to you."

Yumiko did not want that to happen either. She gasped when she felt his soft lips on her forehead.

"Go to Coyote. Stay near him. Hold what you love the most tightly and never let it go," he warned her, running his fingers through her hair. "I wish I had done that before it was taken away."

"What do you me-" She stopped talking when his finger pressed against her lips. She saw the tears gathering in his stunning blue eyes just before they disappeared behind his eyelids again.

"One day I'll tell you...just not today. Go to Coyote."

Yumiko ran. She ran as fast as she could to her husband.

"Yumi? What the - " His words were cut off when his wife rushed across the bedroom to him and threw herself into his arms while pressing her lips to his with an almost painful kiss.

Gin's words had frightened her. The despondent look in his eyes, the sadness of a long held hurt that had resurfaced with stunning clarity, had put the fear of God into her and she did not mean the self-proclaimed god Sōsuke. The fear of losing her beloved scared the hell out of her; more so than the fear of losing her own life.

"Yumi," he gasped after tearing his lips from hers. He chest rose and fell, scraping across her breasts, as he took hard deep breaths after she had stolen his with that kiss.

"I love you. Don't ever forget that," she whispered, her fingers sliding into his wavy hair to pull his lips to hers again. This time the kiss was more gentle, less desperate but no less urgent to convey an emotion.

"I love you too," he responded, using the opportunity to pull her shirt over her head. He stared at the woman standing in front of him, naked from the waist up and heaving for air. He could never forget how much he loved her and needed her either. Right now, he wanted to remind her of both. He pulled off his shirt so he could feel her perky nipples rubbing across the bare skin of his chest instead of his shirt.

"Coyote," she breathed, a tender plea for his touch. She sighed when his big hand covered her breast and squeezed. Once again her fingers twisted into his hair and her lips claimed his. Her squeal was muffled between their lips when the fingers of his other hand dug into the flesh of her buttocks, massaging her through the leather pants. It had been a while since he had been so demanding and forceful. Her fingertips pressed against his pectorals before drifting downward. For a brief moment, her fingernails grazed his hard ridged abdomen as her fingers turned down to slide between his skin and the waistband of his cotton pants.

"That's one of the things I've always liked about you," he murmured, pulling her hair lightly when her fingers enclosed his throbbing manhood. "You know what you want and you go after it."

"What do you want, my husband?" she inquired, removing her hand from his pants. She held her breath as he dropped to his knees in front of her, placing a kiss to her abdomen just above her belly button.

"I want my wife," he mumbled, licking across her flat belly beneath her belly button. He looked up into her eyes as he raised her foot to pull off her boot.

"What else?" She obediently raised her other foot as he threw her boot across the room.

"A baby," he murmured, kissing her belly again before he snatched off her other boot. His fingers curled over the top of her pants to pull them down without undoing them. They were loose and low slung on her hips so he did not bother to waste time. "But until that happens. I'll enjoy making love to my beautiful wife."

Yumiko stepped out of the material gathered around her feet, going to the bed while he removed his pants. She lay down on the bed permitting her eyes to wander over his luscious body from head to toe as he walked toward her. Rolling onto her side after he lay down next to her, she placed her knee on his hip brushing her aroused body against his.

"Like this?" he queried, his fingers grasping her ass to pull her body against his.

"Why not?" she rejoined, taking his member into her hand to guide him inside of her.

Coyote groaned as he slid into her slowly. Perhaps this position was a good idea to keep him from rushing headlong into a frenzied orgasm. Later he would ask why she vacated the dinner table so abruptly and where she had been the past few hours. Until then, he would make love to her, enjoying every sensation coursing through his body while he made her moan his name with pleasure.

Yumiko clung to him, covering his faces with kisses as her leg hooked around his waist to pulled him into her body. Her hands traveled over his chest and back, clawing him occasionally when the ecstasy grew especially intense. When he began to move faster, her hand rested on his waist to assist him with the intensity of his thrusts. She was on the verge of going over, of losing her ability to think to the mind numbing pleasure and she wanted it - that wonderful feeling of drowning in pure bliss that came with a blessed orgasm. She placed her lips against his whimpering as the pleasure hit the precipice of ecstasy. Her body convulsed and her lips moved toward his ear, repeating his name over and over while he pushed into her firing off orgasm after orgasm while he experienced a climax of his own.

"Coyote," she whispered, kissing his cheek and then his lips. Her body felt light, as if she were floating, like she had been disconnected from reality. She had been hoping for an orgasm this intense. They both needed a separation from reality to truly be able to enjoy each other.

"When do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his lips drifting over her forehead as she nestled her head beneath his chin.

"Tomorrow. You're not going to like what you hear," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his collar bone.

Coyote sighed, pulling her tightly against him. He already knew what he was going to hear. His brother was not dead. He had suspected that from the beginning. It had not been like Sōsuke to make himself a sitting duck on the battlefield much less allow a woman of all people to kill him so easily. No...when the great Sun King - his _dear_ brother - goes down for good, Sōsuke would die with style and finesse because even in defeat the man would want it to be glorious and all of the attention on him.

"Tell me something I want to hear," he requested, stroking her back with a featherlight pressure of his fingertips. His lips curled upward into a grin when goosebumps rose beneath his fingers while she writhed and giggled from the ticklish touch.

"I love you, Coyote."

"I love you, too, Yumiko."


End file.
